The Need to Live, the Need to Love
by R.L BlackRose
Summary: Deidara narrowly escapes being killed by Akatsuki after escaping from his life of forced killing. Sakura finds him dying in the forest and heals him. But who's this stranger chasing them? DeiSaku. [OLD]
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: I can't BELIEVE I'm writing yet ANOTHER Naruto fanfiction, heh!**

**Naruto: Well, Believe It!**

**Me: Shut up. Now then, I am planning on continuing this story. It is DeiSaku! There is much fluff. There is much sadism towards these poor characters on my part. This story just sort of sprang out of nowhere, but I have a pretty good idea of what I want the plot to be. Oh, and by the way, I am KNOWN for my fast updating! Usually, of course. There are some exceptions.**

**PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW! I'm not going to hold the story ransom for reviews, but they encourage me, yay! PLEASE I WUV REVIEWS.**

**Critique is much appreciated, and desired!**

**EEENJOY. Oh, and I don't own Naruto. If I did, DeiSaku would already have happened ages ago, lol!**

Chapter One

The dark shape darted through the trees. The night was pitch black, the stars were out and shining.

And Deidara was running for his life.

He gritted his teeth as he felt the pain rip through his side. There was a long gash cut into it, and he clutched with trembling fingers. Blood ran through them.

He heard dogs barking behind him, and silent tears streamed from his eyes.

_It's over._

He felt his breath leaving him, waves of nausea breaking over him as sweat beaded on his face. The wind cooled him, and he breathed deeply, fearing they would be his very last.

_Why did I try to escape?_

No more clay, no more knives, no more chakra. He was all out of weapons. All out of time.

All out of hope.

The barking of the dogs grew louder still. He heard voices.

"Come back here! You're not gonna escape, boy!"

Something cut into his back. Deidara choked back a scream as he ran.

_Why am I still running?_ he thought.

_I'm so stupid._

He tripped suddenly, falling sprawled onto the ground.

_So helpless._

He dragged himself through the fallen leaves on the forest floor, his muscles burning.

_So weak._

He let out a scream, a howl of pure and utter defeat. Remorse.

_And alone._

When he started to try and pick himself up off the ground, he felt a heavy foot thump onto his back. His arms collapsed beneath him, and he lay trembling on the ground.

"What should we do with him?" he heard.

"Kill him."

Deidara tensed.

_No. _

He struggled.

"Stop squirming." his captor muttered. "It's just like falling asleep."

"No... please, stop, un!" Deidara sobbed.

The man ignored him. Deidara felt his fingers on his neck, lightly brushing aside his blonde hair.

The ponytail fell beside his head.

"I'll make it quick."

Deidara heard the whoosh of air as the man raised his katana.

"Stop!" he heard.

He sucked in a breath. The swift blow of the sword didn't come.

"What?" said the man above him. "Can't you see I have business to do?"

"Yes." said the other voice. "But don't you want to... _play_ with him first?"

Deidara's eyes filled with tears at the sheer unfairness of it all.

_I never asked to be part of the Akatsuki._

_ I've never wanted to kill anyone._

_This life was forced onto me. I'm worthless, even more so now. Just some 'business' the Akatsuki have to take care of. Already dead, for all they care._

_ But If I hadn't tried to escape the Akatsuki base a week ago... I would still have many regrets._

_ But now I want to live._

_ I don't understand._

_ Why do I want to live?_

"I want to live." he cried pitifully, his voice soft. "I want to live, I want to live, please, I want to live..."

"Aw, come on." said the man. "You already played with a bunch of people. Do you really have to?"

The other voice chuckled.

"You want to live, don't you?" it said. "Heh. Silly boy. You don't have a choice."

He turned to address the man with his foot planted firmly on the former Akatsuki's back.

"Fine. Just kill him."

Deidara heard the sword go up.

_No._

He suddenly wrenched himself face up and kicked upwards.

"OW!" the man shouted. The sword dropped from his hand.

And Deidara ran, ran like the wind without looking back.

The branches whipped into him, setting all the week-old wounds on himself on fire.

But his triumph was short lived. Something hard pierced him, something long and hard.

He choked on his own blood as he collapsed.

Something planted itself on his back again, a foot. But this time, it was heavier.

"Maybe," said the voice above him, "I should just let the dogs rip you apart. Wouldn't that be nice?"

The sobs tore themselves from Deidara's throat. He couldn't hold them back any longer.

What was the point if he did, anyway?

"Nah." said the voice. "I think I'll just kill you slowly with my sword. How does that sound?"

Deidara squeezed his eyes shut, clenching his teeth. He felt a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach.

Something sharp and cold sliced into his back-

"RUN!" said a voice.

The dogs went insane, barking their heads off in a horrible symphony of anger.

"We don't stand a chance-"

"They're coming-"

"Ninjas-"

"Wait!" said a voice, breaking through all the rest. "What about the boy?"

"Leave him, he'll die soon anyway!"

And just like that, the foot was off and all that remained of the men who had stood around him were the footsteps fading away in the distance.

Deidara tried to get up.

He couldn't.

And then he heard footsteps coming closer. Only... lighter. And from the opposite direction.

He lay on the ground, his life bleeding out of him.

_I'm just like... a sack._ he decided dejectedly. _I can't move._

With his remaining energy, he curled up, on the ground.

His stomach turned and he gagged, heaving dryly. He hadn't eaten much in the past few days.

Suddenly, he heard someone, or many someones crash through the trees nearby.

"I swore I heard something around here!"

"You hear a lot of things, Naruto."

"More than YOU heard, Sakura!"

"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?"

"Eheheh, nothing!"

"That's what I thought."

"Sakura... I want to go back. I'm hungry. I want ramen!"

"Fine. Go eat. I'll finish looking in this area and go home too."

"See ya!"

He heard someone darting away through the forest.

And footsteps.

_Sakura. _he thought. _The one who defeated Sasori?_

_ No way. Ugh, I'm dead. Even more now._

_ Unless she doesn't find me._

He tried to lie as still as possible. Which really wasn't too hard, given his current condition.

No such luck. The footsteps grew nearer and nearer...

Sakura gasped.

There, in front of her, was... a dead body.

She slowly walked around it, until she found the face.

_Deidara!_ she thought. _He's dead? But who did it? When?_

Suddenly, she saw one of his fingers move. She leapt back, drawing two slick kunai.

"Are you alive?" she asked sharply. "Answer me!"

The only noise heard was the birds in the trees.

And then-

His eyes opened. His chest went up and down quickly as he tried to gain his breath back.

_He's alive._ she thought.

She saw him tense as he saw her so close.

She saw the tears on his face.

_A murderer crying. How odd._ she thought, her eyes cold.

She swung a foot at him and kicked him in the stomach.

He let out a soft cry and tried to pull away.

"Go away." he said. "Please, go away."

_He's not wearing Akatsuki robes. Or his headband. Or his ring._

_ That's odd._

He was shaking, his blood slowly feeding the ground beneath him.

"Why should I?" she said.

"Please, just let me die." he said, his voice hoarse. "I want to live, but dying will have to do, un."

"What are you talking about?" she said. "Why shouldn't I just kill you right now?"

Deidara coughed, and dark crimson splattered onto Sakura's shoes.

His hand tightened on a handful of leaves as his stomach twisted.

Sakura's compassion won over her need for revenge.

But she didn't show it, of course. That would be a weakness.

"Who did this? What happened?" she said. "You have thirty seconds to talk. Go."

Deidara bit his lip, angry and ashamed. Now he had to bow to the demands of some stupid kunoichi to live.

"I tried... to escape..." he said.

"Twenty-nine." Sakura said menacingly. "Twenty-eight. Twenty-seven."

"From Akatsuki." he finished. "Please, I can't talk... much... I just need more time, please...!"

He broke into soft crying, his shoulders shaking.

Sakura's heart throbbed, and she felt a big hole of guilt open up in her chest.

She sank slowly to her knees before Deidara.

Deidara shrank back, the tattered remains of his shirt ripping on the bloody ground.

"No, it's okay." she said. "I'm not going to hurt you, I'm sorry."

Deidara swallowed hard, deciding whether or not to trust her.

_I don't really have a choice, do I? _he thought.

"It's over, you're safe now." she said.

He suddenly felt her cool hand on his bare shoulder.

_She's going to kill me! _he thought, panicking.

Sakura jumped as Deidara started thrashing around, his limbs flailing.

"Stop!" she shouted. A foot smacked into her stomach and she doubled over.

She gritted her teeth and launched herself onto him, holding him down with her strength. Her knees dug into the ground on either side of him. She gripped his shoulders and slammed him into the ground, pinning him there.

"Stop moving, you're going to bleed yourself out, understand?" she said.

He struggled beneath her, eyes shut tight.

"Do you want to die?" she shouted. "Look at me!"

He stopped moving, opening his eyes. Bright blue, confused, sad eyes. Their gaze pierced hers.

"Don't kill me, un, please!" he pleaded. "You don't gain anything from killing me, I-"

"I... I won't." she said.

Deidara looked up at her in tired surprise.

She leaned down and wrapped her arms around him, and then she straightened back into a kneeling position, wrapping her winter cloak around him.

Deidara shivered as he felt the warmth of her body radiating out from her like a furnace.

_I'm so cold._ he thought.

_And she's so warm._

He snuggled into her. The cold started fading from him.

Sakura kneeled there with him for a while, until a drop of rain fell wetly onto her head.

_Uh-oh. Wasn't there going to be a big storm tonight?_

_ I can't move him around too much in his current state anyway._

_ Oh well._

She took her walkie-talkie and pressed the button. She spoke into it softly, as to not disturb the sleeping Deidara burrowed into her chest.

"Naruto." she said.

"Mourmf!" she heard. "Mf mrgm-"

"First swallow the ramen." she said. "Then talk."

There was a long silence as Naruto chewed and swallowed as fast as he could.

"Sakura!" he said. "Sakura, hey, are you coming back-?"

"Naruto." she said. The hand unoccupied by the walkie-talkie played with Deidara's long blonde hair.

"How does he keep it so soft?" she wondered aloud.

"What?" said Naruto, confused.

Deidara smiled.

"Conditioner." he whispered, grinning.

Sakura blushed to the roots of her hair.

"Sakura, are you coming-?"

"Naruto," she said, holding the walkie talkie between her shoulder and her ear as she braided Deidara's silky hair. "I don't think I'm coming back today. Maybe even not tomorrow."

"What? Why?" Naruto questioned.

"I have something I've gotta do." she said. "Something... I've got to take care of."

"Oh. Okay." said Naruto. "Well, come back as soon as Mrmfmg!"

"Have fun eating your ramen." she said dryly. "Bye."

She slid the device back into her pack.

It was drizzling now, but the large black cloud in the sky warned of a bigger storm to come.

"Okay, now I'm going to stand up." she said. "Can you walk?"

"I don't know, un." Deidara said.

"Don't resist, I'm going to carry you." she said, and then she swept his legs off the ground, cradling him in her arms.

As she stood up, she felt something small, warm and damp flick over her skin, around her midriff-

"WHAT THE HECK?" she shouted.

Deidara chuckled.

"Oops. My bad, un." he said, smirking.

"You lick me again," Sakura grumbled, "And I will make you wish you'd never had mouths on your hands."

She walked, looking for the nearest cave or shelter.

"Wait." Deidara said.

"What?" she answered, ducking under a tree branch.

"Why are you helping me?" he asked.

Sakura blinked and looked down at him.

"Because you're in need." she said, and looked back up again.

"What does that have to do with anything?" he said. "Why did you help me?"

"Because I can." she said.

"I don't understand, un." he said.

"You don't have to." Sakura murmured. "Just rest."

She spotted a cave from afar and headed towards it.

"I don't trust you, un." Deidara said.

"Good for you, then." she said.

The rain was definitely getting stronger now, the drops of rain bouncing off her waterproof winter cloak.

Deidara opened his mouth,

"I still don't trust-"

She grabbed his head and buried it in her chest, too tired to answer any more questions or explain anything more to anyone.

She ignored his muffled complaints as she ducked into the cave.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Chapter two, in which Sakura starts healing Deidara. This has mild fluff, but so far, not extreme fluff. For those of you extreme fluff lovers, expect that in about... hrm... 2-3 chapters!**

**Hmph. I feel like I could have done better on this chapter. The dialouge seems sort of... thin. Anyway, hope you enjoy! PLEASEPLEASEPLEASE REVIEW!**

**(I was VERY satisfied indeeeed with the number of people who reviewed in one day, eee!)**

Chapter Two

The rain poured onto the ground outside, pounding the dirt into mud and the leaves into damp piles of mush.

Sakura gently set Deidara on the floor of the cave, and he groaned in agony.

_It's so cold..._ he thought,.

"I can't heal you today," Sakura said, "I'm out of chakra or now but-"

She saw that he was shivering.

"Are you cold?" she asked.

_Yes._

"No." he said.

"Lfiar." she replied, and she leaned down and wrapped them both in her winter cloak.

She straightened back up, sitting against the wall. Deidara sank into the comforting warm garment, sighing.

"So," Sakura said. "What happened?"

"I... I tried to escape for the Akatsuki." he whispered. "Because they forced me to join. So did the terrorist group before them."

"What about your art?" she asked.

"Fireworks." he said, his voice growing softer as he grew more tired. "I used to... make fireworks, un."

_Art is an explosion... oh, I get it._ Sakura thought.

"Just... relax. Rest." Sakura said. "I'll heal you tomorrow."

"Here?" Deidara said, unsure.

Sakura wrapped her arms around him and pulled him closer.

"Here's just fine." she said, and she closed her eyes.

Deidara looked up at her face. The faint moonlight from outside shone on her face, illuminating it. Her pink hair rustled in the wind.

"Hey." Deidara said. He tugged on her shirt.

"Mmm?" she said, looking down at him.

"What's... your name?" he asked.

"Sakura." she replied.

"Cherry blossom?" he said.

"Yeah." Sakura said. "It's lame, isn't it?"

"Not at all, un." Deidara said.

Sakura blushed a little.

"Good night." she said, and she turned her head to the side and was silent.

_What's going on?_ Deidara thought. _I'm being soft. I'm completely at her mercy, but I feel safe._

He bit his lip.

_No, it can't be._ he thought. _After all these years... what if I can..._

A lump rose in his throat.

_ No. I'm a murderer, I killed so many people... I can't._

He fell asleep with these troubled thoughts.

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Sakura dreamt.

She was standing in a burnt forest, the smell of decaying wood hanging thick in the air. In the distance, standing, she saw a figure with spiky hair. His clothes rippled in the dank and musty wind, and he turned slowly towards her.

"Sasuke?" she said, cautiously taking a step forward.

He turned towards her, his face hidden in shadows.

And then he started walking away.

"Sasuke, come back!" she pleaded, running after him. But when she approached him, he faded away, and she hugged only air.

She fell to her knees, sobbing.

Even after all these years, after all this time...

She turned towards the destroyed forest, wiping her face with her sleeve...

And suddenly saw that it was green and beautiful, the trees full of lush, rustling leaves. They danced and shimmered in the soft wind.

And she saw another shape in the middle of it.

Birds flitted around him, singing. Sakura slowly stood up and walked towards him.

Everywhere she stepped, flowers sprouted from the ground, leaving behind her colorful footsteps.

She reached out to touch his shoulder...

Her hand landed on it.

It didn't fade away, it didn't leave.

And then he turned and hugged her, in a warm embrace, pulling her up towards him.

The forest exploded with light, and Sakura felt as if she was floating up, towards the fluffy white clouds that drifted by in the sky...

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And Deidara dreamt as well.

He dreamt that he was standing in a forest of cherry blossoms. Their intoxicating smell floated around him, and he reached out his hand and caught one small pink petal as it drifted by.

He suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder and turned around, looking down.

He saw Sakura, standing and looking at him with a broken look on her face. Her jade eyes shone with pain, as her hesitant hand rested on his shoulder.

"Why so sad, un?" he asked her. It was like she didn't hear him.

"Hey!" he said, waving a hand in front of her face. "Hello? Anyone home?"

She stared straight through him.

He started to get a annoyed. Why wasn't she listening?

"Sakura!" he said.

His gaze slowly drifted upwards, and he saw that where the forest ended there was a barren wasteland, gray and brown.

A single tear slid down Sakura's face.

Deidara sighed.

"Why so sad, un? he repeated...,

reached down...

and embraced her.

His vision was suddenly blocked by cherry blossom petals, so many of them, whipping past his face...

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He woke up to find himself lying on the ground.

Deidara felt someone's hands sliding over his stomach, and he opened his eyes and saw her above him.

"Oh, you're awake." Sakura said. "It took you way too long, I was worried that..." she looked down. "Well, you know."

"I'm not planning on dying anytime soon, un." he said. "What are you...?"

He raised his head and saw that her hands were glowing.

"Healing you!" she said. "Hey, are you thirsty?"

Deidara suddenly realized he was parched.

"Possibly." he replied.

Sakura passed him a water bottle and he downed it eagerly.

"You drink like you haven't had water in a week!" she said

"That's not entirely false." Deidara pointed out, grinning.

"Hm." she said, concentrating.

Deidara looked up at her face, lit up by her blue glowing hands.

_She has pretty hair. _he thought. _I want to play with it._

_ Wait. STOP THINKING THAT! _

He looked down.

"Hey!" he shouted. Sakura's hands flickered out.

"What, what is it?" she said.

"You're wearing RED?" he said incredulously. "That doesn't match your hair!"

Sakura stared at him for a full ten seconds, her eyes meeting his accusing stare.

"Did you seriously just interrupt me to criticize me on what I wear?" she said.

"Yes." said Deidara. "Yes I did."

"I liked it better when you were whimpering on the ground."

"I was NOT whimpering, un!"

Sakura snickered. "Then what were you doing?"

"I was making perfectly manly noises of defeat!"

"Whimpering."

"No!"

Sakura's hands started glowing again and she laid them back on his stomach.

"Let me concentrate." she said, ignoring his angry ashamed glare.

"Psht. Whatever, un." he said, turning away.

"By the way, what's with this... mouth on your chest?" Sakura said, her brows furrowing.

"Wasn't that stitched up?" Deidara said.

"It licked me twice."

"Heh heh."

"IT'S NOT FUNNY, IT'S DISGUSTING!"

"It's completely funny. You're just too humorless to see- OW!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, am I HURTING you?"

"YES!"

"Oh. Well, that's just too bad."

"Stop it! Ow, ow, ow! Stop!"

"No- stop moving! Ow!"

Deidara flailed around, trying to get away from her burning hands.

"It hurts when you do that!" he shouted.

"I'm trying to save your life here!" Sakura shouted back, and she swung a punch at him. It hit him on the side of his head, and he sprawled onto the floor.

Sakura flipped him over and pinned his arms to the floor with her knees.

Deidara opened her eyes .

"I can see up your skirt, un." he said, grinning slyly.

"SHUT UP!" Sakura yelled, turning red. She sat on his stomach, hard, and put her hands on his chest.

"That hurt!" he yelled out in pain.

"Deal with it!" she grumbled.

"GGGGGEH...!" Deidara grunted, trying to push her off him. "Get off, get off!"

"Not until you're healed!" she said.

Deidara clenched his teeth as the wounds on his chest burned.

She looked down at him.

"Why the angry face?" she said crossly. "Don't you get that this is for your own good?"

Deidara suddenly breathed in sharply, a pained look crossing his face.

"_Mommy! Mommy, no, I don't want to leave!"_

"_Don't you get that this is for your own good, Dei-dei? It's the only way you'll live-_

"_But I don't want to live when you're not with me! Mommy, come with me!"_

_ "I'm... I'm sorry, Dei-dei. I can't."_

_ "Mommy, please!"_

_ "Just take good care of yourself, Dei-"_

_ A ripping noise. Warm, red liquid, splattering all over him._

_ "MOMMYYY!"_

"What's the matter?" Sakura said, her hands flickering out. "Deidara?"

"It's... nothing." Deidara said, his voice soft.

"I know when someone's in pain, Deidara. I've been trained to see it." Sakura said. "What is it?"

Deidara bit his lip.

"I hate being helpless!" he said. "I hate not having a choice."

"Sometimes," Sakura said, reaching for some bandages from her pack, "It's not your choice whether to live or not. Sometimes, other people want you to live. And you need to live for them."

She unzipped her pack and drew out a roll of cloth.

_Is that it..._ Deidara thought... _Mother?_

He snapped back into reality as he felt Sakura's cool fingers brush past his back as she leaned down to fasten the bandage cloth.

When she was done, she got back up and stood.

"I can see up your skirt again." Deidara smirked.

"I think I see another wound on your shoulder."

"No you don't, un!" Deidara said quickly.

"Yes I do." Sakura said, smugly crossing her arms. "Why don't I heal it for you?"

"No, but it'll hurt!" Deidara whined.

"I know; isn't THAT convenient?" she said, and with that she sat down on him again and put her hands on his shoulder.

"Ow!" he yelped.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: OOOH EETS GETTING FLUUUFFY**

**who's the mysterious guy? YOU WILL FIND OUT**

**I hope you enjoy this chapter, I WUV HOW MANY PEOPLE LIKE THIS EEE**

**PWEEZE REVIEW! And enjoooy!**

Chapter Three

No one likes being startled.

Very few people like getting knives thrown at themselves either.

So being startled by a knife getting thrown at you isn't a very pleasant experience.

Deidara saw the knife first.

"Get down!" he shouted. Sakura threw herself flat onto the ground.

The small kunai whizzed past the place where her head had been and thudded into the wall. It stayed, handle sticking out.

Sakura sat up, drawing her own kunai.

"Unh..." Deidara groaned as he tried to stand. "I'm dizzy..."

A dark shape appeared at the mouth of the cave, silhouetted against the early morning sun.

"Who are you?" Sakura growled.

The shape did nothing, only stood there. A cloud moved over the sun, and Sakura saw that the man's face was hidden by bleach cloth, along with the rest of him. Except for his eyes, burning with hatred and madness.

"Who are you, I said!" Sakura shouted. "Answer me!"

"I," he said, "am the end of you and your murdering Akatsuki friend."

His voice dripped with hate and anger. He took a step forward, into the cave.

_Darn it! _Sakura though. _He's got us cornered..._

Her thoughts were interrupted when the man suddenly raised another kunai.

And with a flick of his wrist, he flung it at Deidara.

Deidara rolled to the side and got to his knees, swaying with dizziness. The knife missed him by mere inches.

"This is not a fair fight!" Sakura shouted. "Why dont you come outside and fight us like a man?"

"I don't care for fairness." The man scoffed. "I seek only revenge."

Sakrua clenched her teeth. _So he's serious,_ she thought.

_well, so am I._

Sakura ran at the man, pulling her fist back. He nimbly jumped back, and Sakura's fist swung by him.

He grabbed her arm.

"Foolish child, it's only him I want." he said. Sakura tried to pull away, her eyes filled with hate. "You stay out of this."

And with that, he flung her up into the air. She struck a tree and slid down, her head falling to the side.

"Sakura!" Deidara whispered. He cautiously stood up, reaching for the cave wall to steady himself.

"You will pay for what you've done!" the man shouted, and he drew a long sword from it's sheath on his back. It glinted in the sun, and Deidara's eyes widened in fear.

The man flew towards Deidara, his eyes flashing.

Deidara stood like a deer lit by headlights for a few seconds before throwing himself to the side. He slammed into the wall of the cave, and immediately the man's hand was around his throat, crushing it.

Deidara struggled for air, desperately trying to pull the strange man's hand from his throat as his feet dangled above the ground.

"Goodbye... murderer." he said, and with those swords pointed his sword straight at Deidara.

Deidara's heart beat loudly in his ears. He closed his eyes.

And Sakura opened her eyes just in time to see the tall man sink his sword into-

"NO!" she shouted, and she rammed into him with so much force that there was an audible crunch as he slammed into the cave wall.

Deidara collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air.

"Hurry, get up!" Sakura shouted, pulling him up by his arm. She turned to the man and found that he was already picking himself off the ground, trembling with rage.

Sakura sighed and picked him up in her arms as she started to run.

Deidara's eyes snapped open. He looked around himself in confusion, finding himself in Sakura's arms. The trees blurred past as she leapt through the trees.

"Sakura?" he said.

And then a river of blood burst from his mouth.

"Deidara!" Sakura shouted, looking down in horror.

Deidara saw her face swimming above him. He felt... numb...

"Don't die on me, or I'll... I'll... I'll kill you!" he heard her say.

"You can't kill what's already dead, un." he slurred, his eyes half-shut.

"I'll find a way!"

"You won't have a chance to." Deidara said, forcing himself to focus. "I'm not planning on dying anytime-"

A ball of fire whizzed by Sakura's head.

"Eek!" she shouted as she ducked, then turned.

The man was standing on a tree branch far away, looking after them. Smoke rose in tendrils from his hand.

"You can run, but you can't hide!" he shouted, his voice carrying on the wind. "I will get revenge on you and the Akatsuki dog! Or my name isn't... NEKAMA!"

His voice faded away as Sakura went farther."

"Who WAS that guy?" she wondered aloud,

Deidara gagged, and Sakura felt his hand clench her shoulder.

She lightly leapt down from the trees and laid him on the forest floor.

Deidara felt her hands come down on his wound and reached out to push them off-

"Don't even start with that!" Sakura shouted, and he cringed as the burning seared across his chest.

He sank into darkness and nausea, not asleep yet not awake either.

When he opened his eyes, he became aware of the sensation of a wet cloth dabbing the blood from his face.

"You're awake." Sakura said. "Don't you dare fall asleep like that again!"

"What?" he said, in a curious sort of tired surprise. "Why do you want me to live, anyway?"

"I don't know." Sakura said. "You deserve a second chance. Don't YOU want to live?"

Deidara looked up at her, his eyes pained.

"I don't even know anymore, un." he said softly.

The last thing he saw was Sakura shouting at him angrily about... something about staying awake...

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"Deidara."

"Deidara!"

Deidara opened his eyes and looked around. He was in a cave, lit by a flickering orange glow.

"Finally!" Sakura said. "Here, have something to eat."

She pushed an apple into his hand. And suddenly, the apple was gone.

"Must you eat with your hands?" Sakura said.

"Yes. Yes I do." Deidara sat, and sat up, holding his head.

He turned towards the mouth of the cave.

"Unbelievable, isn't it?" Sakura said. "It's raining. Again."

Deidara looked outside. "I didn't know it rained in the winter here!"

Sakura sighed. "It doesn't."

Deidara shivered, rubbing his bare arms.

"You're cold." Sakura said.

"Am not." he grumbled.

"Do you get a kick out of disagreeing with every single thing I say?"

"Maybe!"

Sakura stood up and sat down in front of him. She grabbed him and pulled him towards herself, trapping him in her arms.

"No, let go!" he said, and he struggled against her arms.

"You're weak without your clay!" she laughed, and she wrapped her winter cloak around them both.

"Leggo!" he said. "Aaah!"

"Never." she said smugly. "After all the healing I've done on you, I'm not about to let you freeze to death!"

"I don't need your warmth, un!" said Deidara, trying to squirm out of her grip.

Sakura slowly tightened her arms.

"Ow, ow, you're crushing me!" he shouted.

"Be still." Sakura said.

Deidara reluctantly ceased his efforts.

Sakura suddenly felt something small and wet on her arm-

"Lick me all you want, I'm still not letting you leave." Sakura said.

"That sounded so disturbing on so many levels." Deidara muttered.

Sakura suddenly felt cold. She pulled him closer and squeezed him, pressing his head into her chest-

"OMIGAWD, YOU'RE SNUGGLING ME, UN!" Deidara shouted. "STOPPIT!"

"Shut up." she laughed.

"Quit that, I'm not your teddy bear!"

"You are now."

Deidara tried to pull away a few more times to no avail.

"Fine, I give up." Deidara whined. "I'm cold. Warm me."

Sakura nuzzled his hair.

"Ohhh." Deidara moaned. "This is so not right."

"You have soft hair." Sakura said. "Conditioner? How did you get that in the Akatsuki base?"

"Me and Sasori smuggled it in."

"Sasori used conditioner?"

"Sasori _uses_ conditioner."

Sakura looked down at him.

"Deidara... didn't Sasori die?"

"No, we got him back." Deidara said. "You didn't actually destroy the heart, you know, you just left it there!"

Sakura muttered a very unladylike word.

"Anyway, it's thanks to him that I escaped." Deidara said.

"Deidara..." Sakura said. "How _did_ you escape?"

"It's a long story." Deidara said.

Sakura leaned down, and whispered in his ear...

"I'm listening."

Deidara shivered. Not from cold, but from the warmth radiating from her arms and shirt on his bare torso... her touch...

He nestled into her embrace, feeling safe.

"Well," he said. "It all began when Leader gave us a new assignment."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Deidara sat up on his bunk bed in the small, dimly lit room. A half-made bird slid off his lap as he sat up.

There'd been a knock on the door.

Sasori looked up from the desk where he'd been writing out plans for a new puppet.

"Who is it?" he said, standing up.

The door creaked open. Pein stood in the doorway.

Deidara tensed.

"Leader. Why did you come to us?" Sasori inquired.

"I've got a new mission for you two." Pein said. "I'm sure you've all heard Sunagakure?"

"Yeah, we went there on a mission, remember?" Sasori said.

"What... what do you want us to do, un?" Deidara said, dreading the answer.

"Destroy it completely." Pein said.

The two's eyes widened.

"The whole village?" Sasori and Deidara said at the same time.

"The whole village." Pein said. "We've got to show Konoha that we're strong, and we could destroy them if you wanted to."

He turned to Deidara, who was turning white.

"Do _not_ mess this up." he said, and with that the door slammed shut and he was gone.

Sasori glanced up at Deidara, who was sitting frozen on the hard bunk. His hands clenched the blankets, twisting them.

"Do you want to come down to my workshop with me?" Sasori said, rolling up his plans.

Deidara nodded numbly and jumped down from the bunk, following Sasori out the door.

The walked through the stony hallways in silence, strange noises echoing off the walls.

Sasori drew a set of keys from his cloak pocket and unlocked the door, stepping in. Stepped in after him.

The workshop was a warm place, full of red light and half-completed puppets.

Sasori went to a table and sat down to work.

Deidara went and sat down on some steps as he watched him work.

For five minutes, there was silence.

Sasori glanced up at him.

"You don't want to do this, do you." he said.

Deidara sighed. "Could you tell?"

Sasori chuckled.

Deidara looked over his shoulder. "You're not going to make yourself into a puppet again, are you?"

Sasori shook his head. "No, that was a bad idea. It's good that you saved me and got me a new body. It'll be better to just make parts of me puppets. I'll be indestructible."

"That's great." Deidara said.

"Deidara," Sasori said. "When you took Gaara, and you were about to drop a bomb on the village...

Deidara looked down at his feet.

"You said that was your C3." Sasori said. "I've seen your C3, and that wasn't it."

"Yeah, well..." Deidara said, fidgeting with his feet.

"You don't want to be part of Akatsuki." Sasori said.

"No." Deidara sighed.

"That's not unreasonable." Sasori said. "Itachi did force you, after all."

"Ugh, I just can't take it anymore!" Deidara said. This startled Sasori, whose tools dropped from his hands. "They just keep telling me to kill more people, and I can't, I'd rather just kill myse-"

"Hush." Sasori said. "You sound stupid."

Deidara sighed heavily and flopped onto the floor, muttering darkly.

He didn't notice that Sasori had stopped working and was gazing sideways at him.

"Well," Sasori said. "If you don't want to... I mean, I could just stay down here and work for a few hours. I wouldn't notice if you were to, say... leave for a while..."

"S-sasori no danna?" Deidara said, sitting up with his eyes wide.

"At the meeting in a few hours..." Sasori said, "You could be... getting me some wood. I do need new wood. I doubt I would suspect that while you were doing an errand for me, you would run away..."

"Really?" Deidara shouted. "Sasori, you're the best!"

"Just be quick, brat." Sasori said. "I don't have much patience."

"Thanks!" Deidara said. "But... then, you're going to destroy the village?"

Sasori looked at him.

"My patience is waning." he said.

"Come on, Sasori!" he said. "Don't you want to be free? To show off your art, not use it to hurt?"

"I make my own choices. My art must live on forever."

"Fleeting." Deidara muttered.

"Don't even start with that, Deidara." Sasori said. "Go, quickly."

"Thank you...!" he said. "Bye, and... think about it, 'kay?"

Sasori picked up his tools again.

"Goodbye." he said.

Deidara stood in the doorway for a little, watching Sasori hunch over his work.

He ran out the door, straight up to his room.

In his room, he ripped off his Akatsuki cloak. He stared at it a little, remembering.

_Deidara stared at his dead mother on the ground._

_ "MOMMY!" _

_ Suddenly, a hand roughly yanked him away._

_ "Come on, let's move!" he heard._

_ "What's going on?" he sobbed. "Wh-where are you taking me?"_

_ "You're our new recruit, kid." the man standing above him said. "Our name is the Horgim. I guess you could call us terrorists. We've heard of your talents, and your 'mommy' told us to take you once she was gone. From now on, you call me leader and you do whatever I say... or you're dead."_

_ "But I don't want to go with you!" Deidara cried._

_ "Listen, kid." the man said. "From now on, you're a terrorist-for-loan. Ya know what that means?"_

_ Deidara shook his head, wiping his eyes off with his sleeve._

_ "No one cares what you WANT. You're nothing but #39 now. Your life belongs to us. From now on, we make your choices for you. Is that __clear__?"_

_ He burst into tears, and the man slapped him-_

Deidara shook his head, clearing it of the old memories.

The attack on his village, so many years ago... it was all in the past.

_Now, I do what I want. _Deidara thought, taking off his ring and headband. He pulled on a shirt and grabbed his pack of supplies.

He went over to his sack of clay and filled it until it was almost bursting, and slung it across himself.

And with that, he ran out the door.

His feet pounded on the concrete floor as he ran out into the afternoon.

It all went well, until-

He stepped on the last step down.

Alarms rang all over the base.

_What? Leader- Pein- he had it locked down? He... he knew I would try to escape?_

He clenched his teeth.

_"Do _not_ mess this up."_

The doors burst open, and Pein stood there.

"I knew you would try to escape." Pein said. "I was testing your loyalty to the Akatsuki. Oh well. I guess... I'll have to send people to kill you now."

Deidara spat at him and turned, running into the cover of the trees.

He heard tracking dogs barking behind him after a while.

That sound, of dogs, would haunt him for a week of running and hiding...

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"That's it, pretty much." Deidara said.

"Wait." Sakura said. "So... your village... was there a war going on?"

"Yeah." Deidara said. "They killed my mother.

By now, their faces were mere inches apart.

"I don't have any stories like that." Sakura said. "My parents... they left."

"Where did they go?" Deidara said.

"I don't know." Sakura said quietly. "One day, I just got a notice at my door saying... that my parents had left. I don't remember them very well. My grandmother took care of me, but then she died, and well... I've been alone ever since."

"But you have like, teams in you village, right?" he said.

"Yeah, Team 7." Sakura sighed. "Sasuke used to be in it..."

"Sasuke?" Deidara said. "As in..."

"Itachi's brother." Sakura said, nodding. "He was... wonderful..."

"Was?" Deidara said. "Let me guess, he left you."

"Yeah." Sakura said. "He did. For power."

"Ouch." he replied.

"Mhm." she said. "Hey... I'm tired. Whoever that guy was, he was very strong... we need to be able to fight him or any Akatsuki who come along."

"Eh. Fine." Deidara said. "Hey, look, the rain stopped."

Sakura looked outside. "Yeah."

"Anyway..." Sakura said. "Maybe, when all of this is over, you can come to Konoha with me."

"You think so?" Deidara mused.

"Yeah!" Sakura said. "And you could live there and be normal!"

"That... sounds nice." Deidara said. "But first... we've got to get out of here alive."

"That's the thing." Sakura said. "Rest."

"Will do." Deidara said.

He closed his eyes.

"Thanks for telling me." Sakura said.

"No problem, un." he mumbled drowsily.

"I'm going to play with your hair while you sleep."

"Hey!"

**MOAR AUTHOR'S NOTES:**

**Yeah, I brought Sasori back. WHAT OF IT? .**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: Up till now, this story has been heavily based on Deidara. Now, let's see what Sakura's problems are! EEENJOY**

**-was the original intention. Heh. I AM SO EVIL MWAHAHA you will see why. Poor dei-dei! D'8 (EVIL GRIN)**

Chapter Four

Sakura slowly moved her hands glowing over the sleeping Deidara.

His mouth was open a little, blonde hair messy and all over his face.

She sighed as her hands flickered out. Sakura was tired.

She looked down at him again, sleeping. And bit her lip.

_Shut up._ she told herself. _Shut up, shut up. You're strong, Haruno. _

But she couldn't help tracing one finger across his chest, up his throat...

Sakura brushed the hair off Deidara's face, running her fingers through the long blonde strands of hair.

It had been a while since Sasuke left.

But not even time could heal the wounds that he'd left.

And Sakura had made an oath. An oath to herself, to the ones around her.

She choked back tears, tears that suddenly were rushing up out of her eyes.

_I'm such an idiot._ she thought. _You just met this guy. You barely know him. Just like Sasuke. You barely knew him either, and you JUMPED right in._

_ Sakura Haruno, you will never hurt yourself ever again with love. You promised yourself, and you will keep your promise._

Sakura sighed, lying down next to Deidara, who lay splayed on the ground...

_But... it wouldn't hurt to just get to know him better, would it? _she thought.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Deidara was hungry.

He'd just woken up and found Sakura lying next to him. His wounds were healed.

_Sweet, I can stand up again!_ he thought. _Hey, wait a minute._

He glanced at the mouth of the cave, then back at Sakura...

_I can escape now!_ he thought. _Hahaha, yes. I can leave this annoying kunoichi and be free. I can have my own choice now._

Deidara stood up, careful not to arouse Sakura.

Something stung inside him, but he ignored it.

He walked out of the cave and stood outside.

_I am going to find a nice small village where I can make fireworks. _he thought. _Simple as that._

He took one last glance back at Sakura.

_She is going to be so pissed when she finds out I'm gone, heh. _he thought.

And then he lightly leapt onto a tree branch and away.

_Ah, freedom. It feels so good!_ he thought happily. _Psht. Wish I had some clay on hand._

Deidara leapt down from the trees and decided to look for some food.

_I should've stolen some from Sakura._ he thought. _Oh well._

He looked around in the trees for some fruit.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sakura's turn to the side.

Her eyes snapped open.

_HUH?_ she thought, and sat up.

He was gone.

She looked around in the cave, her heart beating faster and faster with every passing second. She stood up and looked just outside the cave.

_He's gone._

Sakura sat down heavily, breathing in deep.

Perhaps... she'd healed him too well.

_I will not cry, I will not cry._ she willed herself. But in the end, the tears slid out.

_This just proves it._ she thought. _This just proves that love will hurt me. _

_ Whatever._

_ Maybe... he was lying about everything. About how he escaped._

_ Nah, probably not. That seemed true enough. But... well, he didn't need me anymore. Why did I think he'd stay?_

She sat there for a while longer, chewing on her lip ferociously. Finally, she just stood up and slung her pack onto her back, shifting it's weight between her two shoulders.

_I guess I'll go back to Konoha now._ she thought.

Her mind was numb.

Sakura walked out of the cave, her steps dragging.

The tears slid down from her cheeks onto the fertile ground.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Deidara's stomach groaned.

"Man, I'm hungry, un." he moaned.

_I really should've stolen from that kunoichi._ he lamented silently, clutching his stomach.

Suddenly, he heard a noise and turned.

_Haha, hikers!_ he thought. _Surely, I can steal from the-_

Suddenly, a shower of kunai burst from the bushes.

"Aaah!" Deidara shouted, narrowly dodging them. He slid into a crouch, his heart beating as he waited for his attacker to show himself.

And suddenly, something slammed into his back. He fell, immediately turning over.

Standing over him was the man that had attacked him just the day before. Nekama.

Deidara scrambled to his feet.

"We meet again." Nekama said, his face still hidden beneath white cloth.

"I don't know who you are," Deidara said. "But I could blow you up right now if I wanted to. So why don't you just-"

"I know you're out of clay, lying scum." Nekama said.

Deidara's eyes narrowed.

"Who are you, un?" he said. "What's the matter with you?"

"What's the matter with me?" Nekama laughed. "What's the matter with ME? Such sure words, from a murderer like yourself."

"I am NOT a murderer!" Deidara shouted. "I'm done with that, I'm free!"

"You can NEVER erase the sins of your past!" Nekama shouted. "Once a murderer, always a murderer!"

"THAT'S NOT TRUE!" Deidara yelled.

"Look what you did just now!" Nekama said, his voice getting louder and louder. "You abandoned the girl that saved your life without saying as much as a thank you!"

"Okay, how long have you been spying on us?" Deidara said. "It's none of your business what I choose to do! My life is my choice!"

"No more dramatic speeches." tNekama said coldly. "It is my business... BECAUSE YOU KILLED MY FATHER!"

"What?" Deidara said.

"You bombed our house mercilessly, on one of your little 'jobs', I presume." he said. "In the village of Kareru!"

"Oh yeah, I remember that one." Deidara whispered.

"That's right!" Nekama said. "I escaped with my life and saw you flying away. I changed my name and vowed that I would get my revenge!"

A cold wind swept through the trees, making them rustle. Deidara shivered.

"THREE YEARS I'VE WAITED FOR THIS!" Nekama said. "And now... you're DEAD!"

He ran at Deidara.

Deidara smirked.

"Ha. I don't need my clay to use... THIS!"

He spun into the ground.

_He'll never be able to get me here. _he thought.

Suddenly, he felt the ground pressing on him.

He tried to push it back, but suddenly, it was crushing him in the darkness, coming at him from all sides-

Deidara burst from the ground and lay sprawled on the ground, catching his breath.

"I learned how to counter that too." Nekama said smugly. "I've done my research, you know."

_This isn't good,_ Deidara thought, scrambling to his feet.

_Uh-oh._

Nekama raised his sword.

And Deidara ran.

He ran fast, then launched himself into the trees, leaping through them at breakneck speed.

But suddenly, he felt something wrap around his leg and he tripped-

He fell, crashing through the branches of the tree onto the hard, rocky soil below.

"Ow..." he moaned, and suddenly vines sprouted up from the ground, wrapping themselves around him as they tied him to the ground.

He thrashed around on the ground, struggling frantically as he heard Nekama in white drawing nearer.

And then he was standing over him.

Deidara's eyes narrowed in hate as Nekama pulled the cloth from his face.

"Now," he said, "I will have my revenge." and with that, he laughed.

Deidara heard his cold laugh and his blood turned to ice. It was the laugh of a madman, of a hate fueled by insanity.

"N-no! Get away!" he shouted.

"Begging for mercy will get you nowhere." Nekama said. "I will make you suffer like I suffered. And I have a special plant-manipulating jutsu."

Deidara opened his mouth to launch a complaint when suddenly, Nekama lifted his sword and plunged it into Deidara's stomach.

"AAAAAAAH!" Deidara screamed. The birds in the trees took off, cawing loudly as they flew away.

He panted heavily as blood gushed from the wound.

And then the sword plunged into his side and a scream ripped out of his throat again.

"Stop..." he gasped.

"No.", came the simple reply.

Deidara felt the sword come down on him again. He tried to thrash out of the plants that ensnared him, but that only made him bleed out faster.

He coughed and gagged. Blood gushed out of his mouth, dripping down his chin and soaking him in crimson.

A vine wrapped itself around his throat, a vine full of thorns. They cut into his throat, slowly slicing through his skin.

All the vines around him grew thorns as well.

The sword slashed his chest, but Deidara knew that if he moved, the thorns around him would rip him apart.

Tears streamed from his eyes as he struggled for breath.

"Ngeh..." he gasped. "Please..."

He looked up into Nekama's cold, satisfied eyes. They showed no intention of mercy.

And they certainly weren't jade...

Nekama kicked him.

The thorns dug into his side and broke into sobbing.

"Please, stop!" he cried. His entire body shook almost convulsively, and his head spun. "I'll do... anythin-"

He was cut off the sword, stabbing him over and over and over again... everywhere...

Deidara was too in pain to even scream, gasping what he feared where his last breaths.

_Sakura..._ he thought. _I was so stupid... I should have stayed with... Sakura...!_

_ She would have protected me..._

Warm liquid seeped through his skin, running into his hair...

_This is... it. _he thought, looking up at this sky with wide, scared eyes. _This is how I die, in a pool of blood as revenge for some guy. Why is life so unfair? Why?_

"How should I finish you?" Nekama pondered, staring down at Deidara with eyes laden with bloodlust and sadism.

"Don't..." Deidara moaned. "Please..."

Nekama laughed loudly, a deep laugh that rang with hate.

"I'll leave you here to die by yourself, soaked in your blood and guilt." he said.

He tilted his head to the side.

"But not before I do this."

He reached down into the rapidly spreading pool of blood at his feet and dipped a finger in.

Deidara felt him write a single, red word on his chest.

'Murderer'.

And with that, he was gone.

Deidara clenched his teeth as his blood and tears mixed on his face. His mouth was filled with the taste of iron.

_So much for manly noises of defeat._ he thought.

_Sakura..._

_ I wonder if she hates me now._

_ Oh well. So many people hate me, it doesn't even matter._

_ My life was over long before Nekama decided to end it._

_ I can never love anyone. I'm... nothing but a murderer._

_ I'm sorry, Sakura..._

And then shamelessly, outwardly...

He cried.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Time had lost it's meaning to Deidara.

He was only a pale shell now; nothing left to do. Blurred last thoughts chased each other around his mind.

His eyes were closed.

He lay still.

He thought about cherry blossoms. Fields of trees... pink, fragrant petals...

When suddenly, he heard a noise.

Deidara tried to register the noise, connect it with something... but his thoughts were so muddled...

He sensed something beside him.

Suddenly, the thorns were being pulled from his skin. Deidara sucked in a breath, feeling the pain flash across him once more...

And then strong arms were wrapping around him, lifting him off the ground. He heard himself shout something, and with his remaining strength he struggled to break free of- of this new person...

As if through a wall of cotton, he heard a sound. A familiar sound... he couldn't quite place how...

Someone was gently wiping the tears from his face.

Slow, caressing fingers running through his hair...

His mind made the simple connection... that this person was _good_...

He suddenly latched onto the person, wrapping his arms around her, the person that he knew almost certainly was Sakura...yes, that familiar smell of her cloak...

Deidara buried his face in her chest and sobbed, his breath coming in short gasps. He felt warm cloth drape itself across his bare back...

The words made it through this time. Soft words, caring...

"It's okay, I'm here."

Deidara smiled, the tears sliding down his cheeks tears of joy now...

_I have to stay awake..._

_ Sakura..._

He felt suddenly he was out of her arms...

"D-don't go!" he heard himself say hoarsely.

"I'm right here." said her voice, her beautiful familiar voice...

_Sakura..._

"Sakura..." he said.

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry I left, un. I... I..."

"It's okay. Just sleep, you're safe. I'm here, Deidara, I'm not leaving."

Deidara smiled.

_I think... I love her... un..._

And he slept.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: WOW I can't believe how many people like this! Even "Return of Sensation" didn't have this many story alerts! Well, that one wasn't during the summer, anyway. (LOL it's another DeiSaku mwahaha!) **

**Well, here's this! PWEEZE REEVIEWWWW THAnK YOOUZ! You can tell me anything in a review. What you like about the story, what you don't, what color your underwear is, I DONT CAAARE.**

**Eeenjoy!**

Chapter 5

Deidara blinked lazily as rose to the surface of consciousness.

"Uh..." he moaned, sitting up slowly. His stomach burned horribly, but it was already almost healed...

He looked up.

Sitting at the other side of the small cave, staring at him, was the pink-haired kunoichi. Sakura.

"Sakura!" he said.

"Yes, that's my name." Sakura said. "Cherry blossom. Pretty lame, isn't it, Deidara?"

Deidara's heart missed a beat.

_Oh dear._

"You told me it wasn't lame at all." Sakura said. "Tell me. How much more that you told me was a lie?"

"I didn't.. lie!" Deidara said. "I just-"

"Left." Sakura said. "You left."

Deidara tried to move, but suddenly realized that his hands were tied behind his back, the rope hammered into the cave wall.

"Why... did you...?" he said, pulling on the rope.

"Are you a spy for Akatsuki?" she said. "Start talking."

"Sakura, I didn't lie to you, un!" he pleaded.

"You can call me me Ms. Haruno." Sakura said.

"Sakura-"

"Ms. Haruno."

"Sakura, don't do this, un!"

Sakura turned to him, her jade eyes filled with anger.

"Just like you... DIDN'T leave yesterday." she said.

Deidara opened his mouth, then closed it.

"It was a mistake, I'm sorry, please..."

He cowered against the wall as Sakura whirled, her eyes flashing.

"Alright!" she said. "If you won't admit your intentions, I'll take you back to Konoha for interrogation."

"Sakura, no!" Deidara shouted. "I'll... I'll fight you!"

Suddenly, Sakura was crossing the cave.

She slapped him. Hard.

"But..." Deidara babbled. "You told me... I was safe..."

"It was the only way to get you to stop crushing me to death and whimpering."

"I was not whimpering!" Deidara complained.

"Oh yeah?"Sakura said, crossing her arms. "Then what where you doing?"

Deidara swallowed hard.

Sakura shook her head and turned to her pack.

"I have nothing more to say to you."

"Sakura, please!"

"Shut up."

Deidara stared at her turned back, heart broken.

He bit his lip.

"I'm not Sasuke!" he shouted.

He saw her tense.

"What... did you say?" she hissed.

"I... only left because I wanted freedom!" he said. "I'm not working for Akatsuki, I swear, un!"

Sakura sighed.

"Prove it, jerk." she said.

And Deidara knew that he couldn't.

He sat in silence.

"That's what I thought." Sakura scoffed. She sat down, apparently mending something with a needle and thread.

A cold wind passed through the cave. Deidara shivered.

"Take this." Sakura said. She tossed her winter cloak across the cave, and it landed on Deidara's lap.

"But then you'll be cold too." Deidara said. "Take it back!"

"You don't have a shirt. I do." Sakura said.

_Could it be... that she still cares? _Deidara thought.

"Sakura." Deidara said. "I... just didn't want to hurt you."

"By leaving?" Sakura shouted.

Deidara clenched his fists, his hand-mouth's teeth biting into his skin.

"I can never love anyone, Sakura! I've killed people who loved others, I can't- I don't deserve-"

He sucked in a breath.

But before he could say anything, Sakura spoke.

"Well,"

She looked down at her feet, putting down her work.

"Great minds think alike, I guess." she said.

They sat in silence for a few seconds.

"Tell me." Deidara said. "Tell me everything."

And she did.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"And now... I don't even know if he remembers team seven anymore." Sakura said. "It's like... he's gone."

Deidara stared at her in silence.

"Sakura." he said. "Are you cold?"

Sakura sighed.

"Yes." she said. "In more than one ways."

There was another long silence.

"Can come over here and untie me?" Deidara said.

Sakura nodded sullenly, getting up and crossing the cave. She knelt down a cut the ropes from Deidara's hands-

And suddenly, Deidara pulled her into his arms.

"Let go!" Sakura shouted, trying to pull away.

"Never." he said.

Sakura felt that he was pressing her into his chest to hard, he was too strong...

She looked up and opened her mouth to complain, trying to wriggle out of his grasp-

And then, suddenly, his fingers were under her chin, tilting her head up- she looked into his blue eyes.

Deidara tilted her head sideways and softly touched her lips with his, pressing them over her mouth.

Sakura's eyes widened for just a second, but then they dulled and fluttered shut, and she suddenly opened her mouth just a little bit and kissed him back-

The world blurred. Sakura latched onto his neck and pulled herself up, pulling his face towards hers, passion bubbling up from the deepest place in her heart-

Deidara fell to the ground, Sakura on top of him. His eyes were closed in ecstasy, as Sakura stroked his smooth face in her delicate hands, her hair falling over him like a curtain... like soft butterflies with blossom petals as wings, brushing his face...

Sakura slowly pulled away after a while, meeting his gaze as soon as his eyes opened. They were both gasping for air, staring at each other/

And she looked at him, smiling brightly.. Not a fake smile, and her eyes filled with tears as she started to laugh.

Deidara grinned as he sat up, taking her in his arms as he leaned against the cave wall. He chuckled.

"Do you trust me yet?" Deidara said.

"Do you?" she answered.

They sat there for a little while.

"I am going to drag you kicking and screaming to Konoha and there is absolutely nothing you can do about it." Sakura added.

"I'll make manly noises of defeat all the way there." Deidara said, smiling.

"But first..." Sakura said, standing up. "There's the matter of that guy. You think he'll... come back?"

Deidara's heart stung as he remembered Nekama's words.

Sakura looked at him, realizing something was wrong.

"Deidara," she said, sitting down again next to him. "Just what did he tell you?"

"Many, many things." he said.

"That guy is insane." she said, looking him in the eye. "It's what I say that matters. Whatever he says, it's just to tick you off. To find your weakness."

"I sure hope so, un." Deidara muttered.

Sakura smiled confidently at him, seeing the faint glimmer of hope in his eyes.

"I know so." she said.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Meanwhile, things were happening, somewhere a little farther away...

A base...

Sasori sighed, putting his head in his arms.

He stared at his creation. It stood before him, brand new, the wood fresh and free of nicks and scratches.

He couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing... something in his life was lacking...

And now he thought he knew what it was.

A crude replica, the new puppet, stood before him. It taunted him with it's perfect shape...

The female puppet.

_I'm not a puppet anymore._ He thought. _Deidara rescued me, turned me human... and if I'm just half puppet, doesn't this give me another chance? A chance to be fifteen and fall in love?_

_I feel like a fool, allowing myself to be manipulated by feelings... but I'd rather be weak and foolish than missing something in life._

_That's it._

_I'm leaving._

He stood up, looking around his workshop for what would most certainly be the very last time...

And ran out the door, upstairs, to his room.

He had to get ready.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

When Nekama went back to see Deidara's dead body…

It wasn't there.

A howl of fury tore through the forest, alarming all the birds flitting around peacefully in the trees. They rose, making a racket as they flew away.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Where's Sakura?" Ino demanded, slamming her hand onto the table.

"I don't know, I swear!" Naruto said. "She said she might not be coming back for a while, and-

"But my boyfriend broke up with me, and I need her consolation NOW!" Ino shouted, grabbing Naruto by the shoulders. She shook him, and his yellow spiky head wobbled back and forth.

They both suddenly became aware of the Coffee Shop manager standing in front of their table, tapping her foot.

She raised one, solitary finger and pointed it at the door.

"Out." she said. "Now."

Naruto gratefully bolted out the door.

"I'm not done with you yet!" Ino shouted, running out after him.

She caught up with him.

"Where did you last see Sakura? It's been way too long!" Ino said.

"Oh, uh…" Naruto stammered. "Right around the forest behind the graveyard. We thought we sensed something th- Hey! Where are you going?"

"To go find her!" Ino called, and with that she adjusted her pack and sprinted towards the dense trees.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sasori trudged through the forest, leaves crunching underfoot.

He rubbed his arms. It was cold.

He still hadn't gotten used to cold after his puppet body was destroyed.

The escape had gone well enough. No one suspected that he wanted to escape, no one realized what he was up to when he walked silently out of the Akatsuki base for the last time

And if they came after him... now, he had a few tricks up his sleeve.

Tricks being weapons, of course.

He looked around, realizing that he wasn't really... going in any particular direction.

He realized... he didn't really care.

And laughed.

Laughter. One of the many bonuses of being back in a human body, the ability to express joy through sound. He hadn't realized how much he missed it.

For a moment, he considered humming, but he decided against it. Humming had always annoyed him.

_I wonder where I am, he pondered_._ It certainly isn't near Sunagakure... the trees are full of green, sweet-smelling leaves._

_Leaves._

_Could it be... Konohagakure?_

And suddenly, like a lance flung through his thoughts, dissolving them like mist... he heard a shrill scream, female. And a male shout.

He knew that voice. No... he knew both of them.

Sasori broke into a sprint.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sakura woke up, slowly stretching her limbs. She yawned deeply and turned to Deidara.

Sakura put her hand on him and shook him. He mumbled something."Wake up." she said. "Wake UP, I said!"

"I'm up, I'm up, un." Deidara groaned. "What's the occason?"

"Well, the sun is up." Sakura said. "And I've heard that humans are daytime creatures."

"Oh really?" Deidara muttered, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

Sakura went up to him on her knees, taking his face in her hands. She planted a soft kiss on his lips.

"And you're a human, not a murderer, Deidara."

She walked off to pack up, and she missed the strikingly red blush that crossed Deidara's face, accompanied with a dazed, crooked smile.

I think I love her, he thought again. But this time there was less doubt in his mind.

"Sakura?" he said, standing up and crossing the cave in long, purposeful strides.

"Yeah?" she said, turning-

As she turned around, Deidara wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close with a hand on her lower back as he slowly pushed a slow, lazy kiss onto her cool, rosy lips.

The warm, morning sun shed light on Sakura's arms as they reached up for Deidara's neck. After a while, she pushed his shoulders back and looked up at his face.

Sakura looked into his eyes, feeling happy. Complete, for once.

"I've got to pack." she said, brushing his hands off of her as she turned away.

This time, it was Deidara's turn to miss the crimson that spread across her cheeks.

"Can I help?" Deidara said, looking over her shoulder.

"Deidara, if I let you handle the pack you'd probably blow it up or something." she laughed.

She flung an apple over her shoulder, and Deidara caught it in his cupped hands. The mouths on them drooled at it's touch, it's scent, and they licked their thin lips excitedly.

"Apples? Again?" he said. "Pack with more variety next time, will you, un?"

"And why would I have to bring full meals on a short investigation into the forest right next to Konoha?" she said.

Deidara's mouth was suddenly very, very dry. Sakura turned and saw him distracted.

One of his hand-mouths' tounge lashed out, wrapping around the apple and reeling it in. It swallowed it, and the other hand waggled it's tounge it disappointment.

"That," Sakura said, staring down, "Is just plain disturbing."

Deidara sank to his knees, suddenly serious.

"Deidara, what's wrong?" Sakura said, getting to her knees next to him.

"Konoha, Sakura..." he said hoarsely. "Heavens, what am I going to TELL them, un?"

"That's an easy one." Sakura said. "We have to go to Lady Tsunade's office with you in disguise. She'll know what to do."

"But... won't everyone hate me?" Deidara whispered.

"No, of course not." Sakura said, putting her arms around his shoulders. "They're all very forgiving, amazing people. You're on our side now, Deidara."

"I don't think... I don't think I ever left it." he said, a slight smile curling up the corners of his lips.

"That's the spirit." Sakura said, standing up. She reached out to him and helped him up. "Don't be nervous."

They walked out of the cave with their shoulders touching, into the light.

"Off to Konoha!" Sakura said, and they walked towards the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

And it all went well for a while. In fact, if they had just gone on to Konoha, there would be nothing more of interest to say.

But of course, if something has the ability to go horribly wrong, it usually does.

After a little while, Sakura suddenly stopped.

"Do you feel that?" she asked.

"Wha?" Deidara said, almost tripping over her feet.

"There's someone coming." Sakura mused. "It almost feels... like it's..."

"WHY?" They heard, a short bark of a word. They both jumped a tensed for battle.

The voice came again, from a tree branch, and they looked up.

A man swathed in white cloth.

Nekama.

"Why won't you just STAY DEAD when I KILL YOU?" he screeched.

"Because you're an idiot." Sakura muttered.

Suddenly, a thorny plant sprung up from the ground and wrapped itself around her throat. She screamed-

Deidara cut straight through it with a kunai.

"Don't you DARE touch her!" he thundered, standing tall in front of her.

"Uh, news flash?" Sakura hissed angrily. "You don't have any useful weapons right now!"

Deidara turned to answer her, but then saw her eyes widen. He looked back at Nekama-

And saw that he was holding a log. A huge log. There was no knowing how much that huge chunk of wood weighed.

He stretched his arm back, twirled it a little... and chucked the thing at them.

Sakura screamed something in Deidara's ears, starting to pull him away. Time passed slowly, dragging by... no, it was too late for Sakura to get them both out of the logs path...

It all happened so fast...

One moment, they were about to die.

The next, the wood was smashed to bits, lashed into woodchips.

Deidara and Sakura opened their eyes.

A long, metallic tail swung in front of them, lashing about in the air. Their eyes followed it as it retracted, going back to...

"Sasori no danna?" Deidara half shouted, half laughed. Sakura's eyes widened, but she didn't speak.

"Wait," Deidara said, looking at the tail. "You turned yourself... back into a pu-"

"No." Sasori said, smiling slyly. "I thought you'd think that... but no. I've merely improved myself. I've made myself... into art."

His eyes shone with pride and happiness and-

"Ah, what a sweet reunion!" Nekama screeched from his branch, like a deranged monkey. They all stared up at him.

"There's no way to beat us now!" Deidara said. "There are three of us and one of you!"

Nekama chuckled.

"No, you've actually just made my job so, so much easier." he said softly, like a predator.

"He's trying to fool us." Sakura said. "Don't listen to him."

Sasori looked at Deidara and Sakura. "I'm confused. Who is this?"

"I barely know." Deidara muttered. "But you... why did you leave Akatsuki?"

"My life was missing something." Sasori said, his foot tracing jerky patterns on the ground. "Maybe... something like the bond I'm sure the two of you share by now..."

"Love?" Sakura breathed.

Sasori nodded-

"I'm sick of this idle chatter!" Nekama shouted.

Suddenly, chunks of earth spewed everywhere as a vine as thick as a man's waist reared up from the ground.

"Wha-?" Deidara said.

Suddenly, Sakura's eyes shot open.

"Sasori, watch out!" she shouted.

Sasori whirled around, but he was too slow. The vine wrapped itself around his waist and squeezed.

"AAAAH!" Sasori shouted in shock, and tried to pull the thing off himself. But suddenly, it was winding up his chest, around and around and around...

There was an audible snap as it snapped one or two of his ribs. Sasori gasped in pain.

Pain. Another thing he wasn't quite used to yet.

"Don't just stand there, brat, help me!" Sasori yelped, starting to panic as it started climbing to his throat...

Deidara lunged forward with a long, sharp knife, but it just bounced off the vine as if it was a tree.

Tears of fear and agony gathered in Sasori's eyes as he reached out to Deidara. Deidara grabbed his hand with both of his and pulled, hard. But he couldn't get him loose.

Sakura turned to Nekama and leapt up at him, fist swinging. But suddenly, the Nekama on the branch burst into dirt.

A clone! her mind screamed at her. All this time, it's been a clone!

She looked down.

The plant wrapped itself around Sasori's throat, going up to his mouth...

Sasori unleashed a scream, a desperate scream, and Deidara just pulled and pulled and pulled...

Another vine sprang up and batted Deidara away. He lay sprawled on the ground, looking on in horror as the vine slowly squeezed Sasori to death.

"Sasori!" he shouted. But it was too late. Suddenly, Nekama's voice boomed accross the small patch of trees.

"I will have Sasori with me at the graveyard behind Konoha, next to this forest two days from today's nightfall." he said. "At midnight. I want the murderer to hand himself over to me. If not, of course..."

iThe vine suddenly squeezed Sasori, crushing him. There were two more snapping noises and Sasori cried out in pain, silent tears snaking their way down his cheeks.

"Well, you know the drill." Nekama finished snidely.

Suddenly, the vine holding Sasori started retracing into the ground.

"Deidara!" he cried. "Help me, Deidara!"

He reached out, and Deidara lunged for his hand...

Sasori slammed into the ground and the vine sucked him right into the earth, taking him who-knows-where.

Sakura stared at Deidara as he didn't get up.

"Deidara!" she said, hopping down from the tree and running towards him.

Deidara buried his face in his hands.

"Im such an idiot." he said.

Sakura put her arms around his shoulders as he stared dejectedly into the crack in the ground, the only sign that Sasori had been taken.

"Don't worry." Sakura said. "We're going to get him back. And you're going to live too, Deidara. And then all three of us will go back to Konoha, together."

"You... you really think so?" Deidara whispered, a small flame of hope flickering to life in his sad eyes.

"I know so." Sakura said. "And I have a plan."


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: WHEW! That seemed like a very long chapter to me. Lol!**

**Anyway, to the 'good idea creator' that left me two reviews... if you want me to do a SasoTema, all you gotta do is message me! It wouldn't quite fit in with the story, sorriez! :P**

**ANYWAY. Here, you discover who I love to pair with Sasori. SO READ ON.**

**Also, here's a question for you, something those of you with better memories might have noticed; Sakura said in chapter three that she'd gotten a notice at the door that 'her parents had left', and then her grandma took her in. But if that's true... then what is this gravestone that Ino saw? OOOH SUSPENSE! **

**Enjoy, beloved readers! AND PLEASEPLEASEPLEASE review, critique, anything! **

Chapter Seven

Ino walked through the graveyard, weaving her way around the crooked headstones.

It wasn't so much that the forest was behind the graveyard; It was more like that the graveyard was in front of the forest. The forest was huge, far bigger then the graveyard.

The forest ended abrubtly where the graverd started, as if the trees themselves would not dare trod on the graves of the deceased.

'Haruno' it read simply. 'Beloved parents of Sakura Haruno, you will be missed always.'

Ino sighed and walked past it, an apologetic look in her eyes.

Yes, what a tragedy that had been. Three years ago.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"So," Sakura said. "I have a great idea!""

"You've already said that ten times, un." Deidara groaned. "All ten were horrible!"

"No, but this one's different, I know it is!" Sakura said excitedly.

"You've said that every time too." Deidara muttered.

It was about halfway to through the first day that Nekama had given them. The mid-morning sun beat down from the sky, throwing bright light everywhere.

"Nekama thinks that you don't have clay, right?" Sakura said, smiling.

"That's because I don't!" Deidara said, leaning against the wall as he watched Sakura walk back and forth, rubbing her chin.

"Aha!" Sakura said. "That's where you're wrong!"

"What?" said Deidara, clearly lost.

"We do have clay, Deidara!" Sakura said, throwing her hands up into the air. "It's everywhere!"

"You've finally gone insane, un." Deiara said. "What a shame."

"No!" Sakura said. "It's rained so much in the past few days... that there must be MUD!"

"And mud can be used as clay!" Deidara said.

"EXACTLY!" Sakura shouted proudly.

"So you're asking me to eat mud, un?"

Sakura looked down.

"Oh." she said, "Well, I hadn't thought of it that way."

Sakura resumed her pacing.

"Why can't we just get there and fight him, the old fashioned way?" Deidara said. "You have your little punching tricks, and-"

"They're sophisticated blows that took me YEARS to master!" Sakura said indingantly.

"Little punching tricks, un." Deidara smirked.

"And you... you don't even have any weapons!" Sakura said.

"I have knives!" he said.

"Yeah, look how well THOSE have worked out!" Sakura shouted.

"What are you talking about?" Deidara said, rolling his eyes.

"I," Sakura said, "Have saved you from the brink of death... not one, not two, but THREE TIMES!"

"It was just... bad luck!" Deidara said unhappily.

"You already eat clay," Sakura said. "How bad can mud be?"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Mud was bad. Mud was very bad.

Sakura sighed as the sounds of Deidara throwing up drifted from outside.

She heard him stop and pant for a while.

"I," he said as he came in, "Am NEVER listening to any of your crazy ideas ever again!"

"Oh, stop complaining." Sakura said, rummaging in her pack for some medicine. She suddenly stopped.

"Hey, Deidara, look!" she said. "Huh. I did have an extra shirt after all!"

"WHAT?" Deidara shouted. "And you just realized that NOW?"

Sakura threw the shirt over her shoulder. It was fishnet with a small, middriff-less black top to go on top.

"What the heck IS this?" Deidara yelled."

Sakura threw a new pair of black pants over her shoulder.

"It's a shirt." she said. "Have you ever seen one?"

"But... it's a lady shirt, un!" he whined.

"It is NOT a lady shirt." Sakura said. "Plenty of respectable shinobi wear fishnets. Now go change, your pants are full of dry blood!"

Deidara grumbled under his breath and went outside to change.

Sakura suddenly came across a container. Her eyes widened.

Deidara came back in to see her stare into her pack, transfized as she drew out the container.

"What, what is it?" Deidara said, looking over her shoulder.

"Clay!" she said. "I have clay for making special casts!"

"Couldn't you have realized this BEFORE I ate the mud?" Deidara said.

"Quit whining and put this in your pocket." Sakura said.

Deidara put it in his pocket, but he didn't stop whining."

"Well, that's easy for YOU to say, un!" he said. "You're not the one who choked down mud from outside!""

"Weenie." she scoffed.

"Wha-? You-!" Deidara sputtered in anger.

"Stop it!" Sakura said, turning to him. "Try the clay. How does it work?"

Deidara muttered to himself as he stuck his hand in his pocket.

There were munching sounds.

Deidara drew a closed fist out of his hand.

When he opened it, a little bird flitted out, flapping its way around the room. It came to rest on Sakura's shoulder and she laughed.

"That'll never cease to amaze me." she said, her eyes glowing.

Deidara smiled.

_You'll never cease to amaze me either_, he thought.

"Anyway," Sakura said, "You can... fly on your birds, right?"

"Of course!" he said. The bird flew back into his hand and he quickly turned it back into raw clay, putting it back into his pocket."

"Well," Sakura said, fidgeting nervously. "I was wondering if you... If I could, you know..."

She blushed, and what she wanted slowly dawned on Deidara.

He grinned.

"Right this way, madame." he said, still grinning, and took her hand as he ran outside.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The forest spread out beneath them, like a carpet of green.

Sakura looked down from the majestic bird as it soared under the clouds, her face glowing with amazement as her eyes swept over the landscape below.

Deidara watched her looking down and chuckled.

"First time flyer, eh?" he said.

"Sai has never taken me up like this." Sakura breathed.

"Eh? Someone else can fly?" Deidara said.

"Yeah, on birds, just like you." Sakura said, sitting down, cross-legged. "But he draws them."

"Psht. I bet they're not as pretty as mine!" Deidara smirked.

Sakura looked at the way this bird's feathers rippled in the cool wind. It's hollow eyes blinked once, slowly.

"They aren't." she said.

Deidara glanced over the side.

"Hey," he said, "Why haven't the leaves fallen off the trees here? It's winter, after all."

"These are evergreens." Sakura said, turning to him as she waved her hand out towards the world below them. "They stay green all year."

She perked up, remembering something.

"Hm?" Deidara said. "What is it?"

"Oh, Deidara..." she said. "It's winter! It hasn't snowed yet!"

"So?" Deidara said.

"Have you ever seen snow before?" she asked.

"Um... once, I think I might've. Why?" he said.

"When it snows," Sakura said. "All the trees... it all looks so beautiful! All the leaves on the trees are covered with little piles of white..!"

Deidara's eyes shone with curiosity.

"Tell me more." he said.

"The snow... it gathers in piled everywhere, like little piles of soft fluff... oh, Deidara. It's art, it really is."

Deidara smiled.

"I'm sure it is." he said.

"And you'll see it." Sakura said. "We're going to get out of this mess and then we're going to fly over here again to see the snow."

Deidara looked at Sakura, how the sun shining through the clouds reflected off her eyes, how it reflected off her hair as it streamed behind her. Pink.

He took her shoulders and pushed his lips onto hers, kissing her.

Sakura tilted her head to the side, kissing him back passionately as she entangled her hands in his hair, pulling at it.

He fell onto her, and she let out a soft gasp as he ran his hands through her pinks locks...

Deidara got up, putting his hands on either side of her shoulders, and as they gazed into each other's eyes, they laughed.

Laughed, never wanting to lose this perfect moment as they drifted through the sky.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sasori angrily gritted his teeth.

He was tightly chained against a wall, full of cuts and bruises.

_My goodness, I'm such an idiot._ he thought. _Why did I try to fight that guy? I barely know how to use all these random weapons I attached all over myself!_

_ I saved their lives but now they're just going to have to fight for me. They're going to have to get hurt for me._

_ I'm so weak within this body. But if I turn back into the puppet... I'll be empty._

_ Weak, empty, weak, empty... why can't I just achieve a perfect self?_

Sasori sighed.

_I guess... people aren't made to be perfect._

He suddenly heard footsteps and tensed.

The door opened, expanding a chink of light across the floor.

"Haha, I see you're awake!" Nekama said.

Sasori looked up at him, eyes glinting with hate.

"No need to be angry," Nekama said. He walked over to the puppet-master and leaned down. "Soon, you'll be free and Deidara will be dead. The world will be a better place, don't you think?"

He grabbed Sasori's head and painfully wrenched it up.

"Don't you think?" he hissed menacingly.

"I think," Sasori said, trying to keep his cool, "That Deidara is going to blow you up into many small piece-"

Nekama slapped him, hard. Sasori just turned his head back to Nekama, a taunting smile on his face.

Nekama kicked him in the stomach and Sasori doubled over, his face still passive.

"Don't get smart with me, puppet-boy!" he screeched. "If you're not going to show me your pain, I'll torture you until you do!"

"Why?" Sasori said. "What's the point of all this?"

"REVENGE!" the madman yelled. "Revenge on the idiot who ruined my LIFE!"

"Look," Sasori said. "If you want to get revenge, go to the ones that ordered him to do it. He WAS forced, after all."

"I don't care!" Nekama answered, seething.

"Listen to yourself!" Sasori said. "You're insa-"

"SHUT UP!" Nekama howled, whirling around with a sword in his hand.

He stabbed it down into Sasori, and blood splattered onto his face.

He giggled madly and stabbed him again. And again, and again, and again.

Sasori looked up at him, eyes full of defiant pride.

Nekama stared at him, eyes narrowed.

He threw his sword down. It clattered onto the stone floor as he slammed the door shut behind him.

And Sasori chuckled.

His tail snaked out from behind him. It was too weak to break the chains, but...

It easily wrapped around the sword lying on the floor and slid it into his backpack.

_I'm going to help Deidara and Sakura,_ he thought. _Because I know they're going to try to help me._

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

And then, that's when things got even more complicated.

Because... some things are just unlucky like that.

Ino trudged through the forest, calling out Sakura's name.

"Sakura!" she yelled. "Sakura, where are you?"

She stopped walking, listening. She heard nothing.

"Darn it, Forehead, where are you?" she muttered angrily, brushing a branch out of her face.

"I see you, little girl." she heard.

"Wha?" she said, whirling. "Who's there?"

"Are you friends with Sakura?" the voice said.

"Yeah, what of it?" she snapped. "Who are you?"

The voice giggled madly.

"That doesn't matter." the voice said. "Would you say that... Sakura would give something up for your safety?"

"What the heck are you talking about?" Ino said, her hand tightening around a kunai in her pocket. In her mind, she silently went over the many Jutsus she had in store.

"No need to get all battle-ready, girlie." the voice said. "I've worked three years for this. I'm more powerful than you."

Ino swiftly turned and ran.

"You can run, but you can't hide, girlie." the voice taunted.

"What do you want?" Ino huffed, turning back. "Get away, I never did anything to you!"

"No... but you can help my goal become reality!" the mysterious voice laughed. It sounded closer now.

Something grabbed Ino's ankled and tripped her.

A vine tore up from the ground and wrapped around Ino, pulling her to the ground.

Ino grabbed her knife, but a plant reached out and slapped the knife away. It spun out of her reach.

She thrashed and struggled, but the more she moved, the more the plants tightened...

A sickly-sweet smell suddenly invaded her nose, and her eyes closed slowly as she clung to consciousness...

The last thing she saw was a pair of shoes in front of her face.

Then, her world went black.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sasori was sleeping when suddenly, out of nowhere, the door rocketed open, slamming against the wall.

He jerked awake, heart pounding.

"Look!" Nekama laughed. "I got you a friend!"

He threw someone in. Someone with blond hair... a ponytail... could it be...?

_No,_ Sasori thought. _This person's hair is lighter than Deidara's. But... who is it, who could it possibly be? _

Nekama dragged her over to the wall and chained her next to Sasori.

"There!" he gloated. "Now, if they decide to fight me... I'll have double the advantage over them!"

He walked out and slammed the door.

Sasori heard the lock click shut and looked to his right.

It was a girl. A girl with a yellow ponytail.

She looked sort of like... Deidara.

Sasori's heart skipped a beat.

_She's not bad looking._ he thought, biting his lip as he shifted uncomfortably. She was too close...

The girl's eyes suddenly fluttered a little, and she muttered something.

About five minutes later, the girl yawned and murmured something.

And her eyes suddenly shot open.

"WAAAAAAAAH!" she shouted, thrashing around. She elbowed Sasori.

"Stop that." he said calmly, and she stopped.

"WHO ARE YOU?" she yelled. "OMG I KNOW WHO YOU ARE, YOU'RE AKATSUKI!"

"No, I'm not." Sasori said in a patient tone. "Please, just-"

"I'm gonna DIE!" the girl shouted, and she broke into sobbing.

"Stop that." Sasori repeated. "You-"

"SHUT UP!" she shouted at him.

_Oh dear._ Sasori thought.

"And... my boyfriend broke up with me and now some random guy who doesn't like Sakura captured me!" the girl babbled.

"What's your name?" Sasori said.

"Eh?" she said. "My name is Ino; aren't you that puppet guy?"

"I prefer to go by Sasori." he responded dryly-

"WE'RE GONNA DIE!" Ino shouted.

Sasori decided that he was getting a headache. He was losing his patience.

"I'm losing my patience." he said.

"Well we're going to lose our LIVES!" Ino shouted.

Then, as if she had just woken up, she looked around, confused.

"And hey... who was that guy?"

"That guy," Sasori said. "Really really really doesn't like Deidara."

"What does that have to do with me?" Ino moaned. "Why me, why ALWAYS me?"

"Stop that." Sasori said. "Deidara wasn't actually bad, he escaped from Akatsuki, Sakura helped him, I escaped from Akatsuki. The en-"

"I DON'T BELIEVE YOU!" she shouted.

Sasori sighed, as she started to babble something.

_How do I get her to stop talking?_ he thought.

It suddenly dawned on him.

_I've wanted to try that for a while anyway..._

He went over what he was about to do in his head, biting his lip as he glanced to his right, waiting for the right moment.

Ino stopped talking for a second, drew in a breath to continue-

And then Sasori turned and took her face in his hands and put his lips on hers.

Ino's eyes widened, but then they closed. She pushed her mouth over his.

The only sounds coming out of the dimly-lit room were the jangling noises of the chains, and the occasional gasp for air as they kissed.


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: OMG AHM SO SORRY. For what, you ask? For this painfully short chapter.**

**I felt like I wanted to strengthen the bond between Ino and Sasori, and then... this happened. Sorry!**

**I also want to announce something.**

**I want you to start your reading engines. Because the next two chapters are the climax. And it's going to blow your MIND. It's going to blow the MIND off your MIND! And it's going to blow everything else off too. Including blowing your socks off. And even feetskins (LOL MWAHAHA)**

Chapter Eight

Deidara and Sakura walked.

They headed towards the graveyard.

And Deidara couldn't help feeling like he was going on his own funeral procession.

"You look worried." Sakura noted.

"No, really, un?" Deidara said.

Sakura stopped walking. Deidara did too.

It was almost nightfall. The sky was dimming.

It was tonight.

"Deidara," Sakura said, "What are you so worried about?"

"He's already defeated me three times in the past couple of days." Deidara said. "And I..."

"But you didn't have your clay then!" Sakura insisted, taking him by his shoulders and looking into his eyes. "And now you do. Now, you can fight."

"But-!" Deidara said.

"Shhh." Sakura said, slapping her hand over his mouth. "We're going to win this. Stop being so nervous."

She started walking again.

Deidara shook his head, muttering to himself, and followed her into the woods.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sasori was fiddling with the chains around him. Ino was watching him

They'd told each other everything. Well, what was important, anyway.

"Sasori," Ino said.

"Hm?" Sasori said, looking up at her.

"You never actually said WHY you left Akatsuki, you know." She said. "I'm stil waiting!"

Sasori shifted uncomfortably.

"Because I wanted to." he said simply.

He felt Ino's disapproiving stare on him.

"What?" he said.

"You should trust me!" Ino said.

"It's not about trust." Sasori replied.

"Come on, tell me!" Ino pleaded. "Please?"

"No."

"C'mon, stop being such a sourpuss!"

"I'm not being a sour cat of any kind."

Ino stared at him angrily as he looked down again.

"I'll scream if you don't!" Ino said.

"Do you really want to get that guy to come in here again?" Sasori said.

Ino grumbled to herself. He had a point.

"I'll choke you!" Ino said.

"I'll choke you more!" Sasori said, exasperated. This had been going on for a while now.

"OMG you just gave me a DEATH THREAT! You're still evil!" Ino said.

"Wha-? No!" Sasori said. He clutched his head. "Aaaagh, you're so annoying. Stop talking."

"And what if I DON'T?" Ino said.

"Just... stop." Sasori said, deflating. "You're giving me a headache."

Ino stopped talking, gazing at him sideways lazily.

She poked his shoulder.

"What is it this time?" he grumbled.

"I'm hungry." she said. "I want Ice cream."

"What?" he said. "Creamed Ice? What's that?"

Ino stared at him.

"No, not creamed ice!" she said. "Ice CREAM."

Never heard of it-"

"WHAT?" Ino shouted. Sasori shot up, startled. "You've never heard of ICE CREAM?"

"Shush!" Sasori said. "No. What's the big deal?"

"Of course!" Ino said. "It probably hadn't gotten around to your village before you left."

"So?" Sasori said. "What is this, 'Ice cream'?

"It's... it's cold and sweet..." Ino said. "But it tastes good!"

"Well, that's very descriptive." Sasori muttered.

"You know what?" Ino said. "When we get out of this mess, I'm going to drag you to an ice cream shop."

"No, I'm not going to Konoha." Sasori said simply.

"Why not?" Ino whined, prodding his shoulder with each syllable. "Sasori, why not? Why not?"

Sasori batted her hand away. "Because they won't... er, like me."

"What do you mean, they won't like you?" Ino said, voice filled with outrage. "They'll accept you if you really want to return!"

"No they won't." Sasori said. "Sunagakure also has relations with them, and there's no way they'll accept me. In fact, they'll probably want to kill me!"

"Look." Ino said. "Not many liked Naruto. EVERYONE hated Gaara. But they found their way eventually. You can too."

Sasori bit his lip.

They sat there for a while.

Sasori was thinking.

After a while Ino started shifting around a lot.

"I'm bored." she said. "Sasori, I'm booored."

"That's wonderful." he said. "Now stop talking."

"I wanna do something." Ino complained.

Sasori turned to tell her something about his headache problem, or how high and piercing her voice was, when suddenly...

He felt her mouth over his-

Sasori struggled, trying to push her off. But she wouldn't get off, and eventually Sasori's eyes drifted shut.

_Why am I enjoying this? I shouldn't be enjoying this_. he thought. _I... I shouldn't..._

Ino's tounge found its way into his mouth.

He shivered with pleasure.

_Okay, I'm definitely enjoying this._ he thought.

Ino slowly lifted her lips from his and gave a happy little sigh, laying her head against Sasori.

"You're cute." she giggled, nestling into his chest.

Sasori's cheeks turned bright red.

"Am I?" he said.

"Yeah" Ino replied. She looked up, into his chocolate eyes. "When we get out of here, I'm going to get to know you better. And I'll buy you some ice cream. How does that sound?"

Sasori looked down at her, at her soft yellow hair. The corners of his lips curled up into a mischiveous little smile.

"That sounds perfect." he said. "Ino..."

"Yeah?" she said.

"I left Akatsuki becau-"

The door slammed open and they both jumped.

"Aw, what a TOUCHING scene!" Nekama shouted, wearing a crazed grin.

Sasori suddenly felt Ino's arms tighten around him, crushing him. Her nails dug into his back.

"Ino," he whispered. "We'll get out of this Just stay calm, okay?"

Nekama started walking towards them, knife in hand.

"No, Sasori," Ino cried softly. "I want to stay with you, please, I-"

Suddenly she coughed.

Red splattered from her mouth.

Nekama pulled the knife out of her back and unlocked the chains around her, dragging her off Sasori and into the air by her collar. She made small choking noises, her legs kicking in the air.

"You _beast_." Sasori hissed at him, eyes burning with hatred.

"I'll come back for you." he sneered, and walked out the door, dragging Ino on the floor behind him.

Her blue eyes met Sasori's.

"Sasori..." she whispered, her eyes wide and pleading-

And then the door slammed shut.

Sasori broked down, tears sliding down his cheeks.

"Ino..." he whispered into the dark.


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: Well, I hope no one kills me because of the cliffhanger at the end of this chapter! Oooh, and I need feedback. Sometimes, my battle scenes get boring, or so I've been told. Have I written well? OOOH AND GUESS WHAT? The next chapter will be like the climax of the climax. The ultra-climax. The super-extremely climax-like climaxy climax. SO GET READY MWAHAHA! Imma start chapter ten right after this goes up. Happy readin', enjoy!**

Chapter Nine

Deidara and Sakura stopped at the entrance to the graveyard.

The night hung over the forest, trees with gnarled dark branches reaching for them from all directions.

Deidara swallowed hard.

Sakura looked up at him and took his hands.

"Deidara." she said. "You're going to be okay. We just need confidence to get through this. He's not stronger than us."

"I know." Deidara whispered. "But... there's always that nagging feeling... that something's going to go wrong, no?"

Sakura reached up to him and ran a light hand down the side of his head, twirling one loose yellow strand of hair around her finger.

"And I'll always love you," she said. "No matter what."

The breath caught in Deidara's throat.

"Sakura," he said. "Why does it sound like you're saying goodbye?"

"Just in case, Deidara." she said. "You never know."

Deidara took a deep breath.

"Are you ready?" Sakura said.

Deidara looked down at her, grinning.

"I'm ready, un." he said.

They walked through the iron gate of the graveyard, holding hands as they stepped into the unknown.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sasori looked up.

There was a full moon tonight.

He gazed at Ino, unconscious and full of blood. How he wished her eyes would open once more...

His tail was already coiled around the sword in his pack. Ready to use.

And Nekama was standing in the middle of the graveyard, looking triumphant, as Deidara and Sakura walked through the gate to the graveyard.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The first thing they saw was Nekama, lit by the moonlight amid the crooked headstones. He was grinning.

Then, their eyes flickered over to Sasori, who was tied to some poor man's gravestone with thick vines.

And then, Sakura saw-

"Ino?" she gasped. She whirled to Nekama.

"What have you done to her?" she demanded.

"Patience." Nekama chuckled. "Now, let me explain something to you both."

Deidara looked down at Sakura. She looked angry already, as her eyes flickered from her defeated friend to the one who had hurt her.

"If I see as much as I tiny move to kill me," Nekama said, "I will immediately crush one of them to death. If you continue to try to hurt me, I will kill the other one as well."

Deidara clenched his fist.

"Don't worry." he said. "I'm giving myself up anyway."

Sakura saw the muscles in his hand move as his hand-mouth chewed the clay it had eaten.

_He'll never expect it. _she assured herself. _He'll be out before he can even try to kill either of them._

"Now," Nekama said. "I want you to stand in front of me so I can run this sword through you. Come here."

Sakura squeezed his hand reassuringly and let go.

Deidara looked up at the moon, hanging above Nekama's head.

_I'm ready. _he thought.

And he started walking stiffly towards the man standing in the middle of the cemetery.

He came to stand still in front of Nekama, facing him. Nekama himself seemed to be quite beside himself with glee.

He raised his sword.

And Deidara's hand suddenly flew open. A small, feathered shape burst from his hand, whacking into Nekama's face.

"KATSU!"

The bird exploded and Nekama screamed, clawing at his face angrily.

When he opened his eyes, one of them was dull and full of blood. Unseeing.

Deidara shoved his hand into his pocket as Nekama slowly looked up, his face twisted by hate-

"I'LL KILL YOU!" he shouted, raised his hand-

Deidara launched a kick at him, and Nekama leapt back. But then, seemingly out of nowhere, twin birds sped at him, landing on him and exploding.

"Quickly, Sakura!" he shouted as he ran at Nekama. "Cut them free!"

She ran towards Sasori, but Sasori shook his head. "Ino first!" he shouted.

Sakura nodded and ran at Ino, preparing her chakra scalpel.

Meanwhile, Nekama launched a wild punch at Deidara. Deidara ducked and kneed him in the stomach. Nekama coughed, the breath rushing out of his lungs.

"That's IT!" Nekama howled, and he lifted his hand.

Vines ripped up through the ground, arcing over Deidara's head as they came down on him.

Deidara threw himself to the side as the plant's sharp tips thudded into the ground he'd been standing on just moments before.

And suddenly, Nekama remembered what he'd said...

He lifted his hand.

Deidara ran at him, hand opening as a large, fat bird flew from his hand...

Sakura's eyes widened as the vines around Ino started tightening.

"Ino!" she shouted. She started chopping away at the deadly plants-

Nekama neatly sliced through the bird Deidara had thrown at him.

But it gave Deidara time. He threw a bird down and it burst into an over-sized one, which he promptly mounted as it rose into the air.

"COWARD!" Nekama yelled. "Come down and fight me like a man!"

"Look who's talking, un!" Deidara shouted, feeling comforted as the wind rippled through his hair.

Flying... it always helped.

And Deidara unleashed a huge cloud of small birds.

They gathered around Nekama, who slashed at them with his sword, and they started exploding,

"AAAAGH!" he howled, as cuts ripped themselves across his body. "YOU-!"

"Let them both go and walk away from this!" Deidara shouted. "You've got NOTHING TO LOSE!"

"I NEED TO EXACT MY REVENGE ON YOU, FILTHY MURDERER!" Nekama screeched "And nothing... NOTHING will EVER change my mind!"

Deidara clenched his teeth.

"Then you leave me no choice." he said.

And with that, he opened his hand.

There was nothing there.

"Ha!" Nekama scoffed. "It seems like your clay has failed you!"

"Believe me," Deidara said. "It hasn't, un."

"Whatever do you mean by that, Akatsuki scum?"

"It's the air you breathe, Nekama." Deidara said. "You're breathing in the very clay that will destroy you from the inside."

Nekama's eyes widened.

"You're not stupid, I'll give you that." he said in a menacingly soft voice. "But if that's so... then why haven't you killed me yet?"

"Because I'm giving you one last chance." Deidara said. "I'll deactivate them if you just promise to stop trying to kill me and take revenge."

"Mercy from a murderer?" Nekama laughed. "Why would I accept THAT?"

"If you want to live, you can!" Deidara said. "People deserve second chances, un!"

"Idiot." Nekama said. "Of course not-"

Suddenly, his eyes widened as Sakura finally ripped through the vines around Ino.

Ino fell to the ground.

Nekama turned, shaking with rage.

"Well," he said. "Two against one. That hardly seems fair, don't you think?"

He lifted his arm-

"NO!" Deidara shouted, and Nekama's left arm disintegrated.

Nekama screamed horribly, stumbling forward. Sakura gasped.

Ino, on the floor next to her, was still unconscious.

Sasori watched the whole scene with a pensive look.

_I probably shouldn't come in. _he thought. _They seem to be doing just fine on their own... I wouldn't like to get in the way._

But his metallic tail tightened on his sword anyway. Just in case.

Suddenly, Nekama smiled.

Sakura stared at him, her winter cloak rippling in the frigid winter wind. It streamed out behind her as she started to slowly back away to put Ino in a safer place...

Deidara couldn't figure out why Nekama was smiling.

And Nekama laughed suddenly, a smile curling around his lips.

"Yes." he giggled. "Two against one isn't fair. Not fair at all, no."

Deidara's eyes narrowed.

"Have you gone insane?" he said.

"No, not at all." Nekama said. "I just thought I should... level the playing field a little."

Sakura's eyes widened.

_Uh-oh. _she thought. _Suddenly... I'm thinking something is going to go horribly wrong._

But Sakura felt strangely at peace.

Nekama started turning to Sakura-

"DON'T YOU DARE!" Deidara thundered, and dove down on his bird, right towards Nekama-

Nekama leapt to the side, nimbly dodging the bird. Deidara pulled out of the dive and went right at him-

Nekama flung himself flat on the ground as the bird whistled by above him.

Deidara landed the bird, skidding to a stop and knocking over at least two headstones.

He leapt off the clay animal, his hand a blur as he tossed three birds at Nekama.

He dodged them, but they spun around each other and dove towards him again-

Nekama whirled around and shattered all three with his sword.

The madman was panting, tired already.

Sakura set Ino down next to the graveyard gate and turned-

Just in time to see Nekama fly at her.

"WHOA!" she shouted, ducking. She straightened up again-

"DUCK!" Deidara shouted, and she threw herself flat as three large, thin birds sped over her towards Nekama.

He dodged them, and then...

Sakura suddenly realized he was right behind her.

Sakura ran, turning as she did so to launch a kunai at him.

And she dug it into his stomach. He made an awful choking noise.

"Sakura, get out of the way!" Deidara shouted, stretching his arm back as he prepared to throw a bomb-

"Let's level the playing field now, shall we?" Nekama said.

Suddenly, he launched himself onto Sakura, pinning her down. Sakura tried to swing her fist up, but suddenly vines sprung up and wrapped themselves around her arms and legs.

Sakura looked up at Nekama's face, panicking with her eyes wide as her grabbed her shoulders.

Deidara stopped in his tracks.

Sasori immediately whipped the sword out of his pack and started chopping at the vines holding him.

_Come on, come on, come on...! _he willed, seeing the vines start to fray. _I hadn't thought that it would take a while to cut through all these! Agh!_

Nekama turned to Deidara

"So you CARE about her, do you?" Nekama laughed. "You... _love_ her, right?"

"Don't you dare touch her!" Deidara shouted at him.

Nekama grinned wickedly and leaned down, kissing her roughly.

Sakura screamed, thrashing as she tried to break free and punch him.

"I touched her." Nekama snickered. "Now, what are you going to do about it?"

Deidara's fists clenched, his eyes narrowed in hate.

"You're sick!" he shouted. "Get away from her now!"

"But while I'm here, you can't really bomb me, now can you?" Nekama said.

"I can still cut you to pieces!" Deidara yelled, drawing a knife.

"And I can cut her to pieces too." Nekama said, smiling.

He drew his sword.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sakura's eyes widened in fear. Her blood turned to ice in her veins.

As the glinting sword went up, over her, she found herself... calm. Peaceful, almost.

It started to come down.

She dimly heard the screams and shouts of Deidara... Sasori... maybe Ino too, but she wasn't sure.

She was so dizzy...

_I'm sorry, Deidara._ she thought. _I was always so afraid that you would break my heart, that I forgot that I could break yours too._

_ But... I'm not sorry that I fell in love with you. I'm not sorry that you did the same. You made me happy, and I made you happy... isn't that what love is all about?_

Sakura heard a long, drawn out scream. It was Deidara's this time. There was no mistaking that voice, that voice that she had heard talking to her for so many days in caves...

And then, suddenly, an explosion of pain ripped across her body.

A scream clawed its way out of her throat.

It was so cold outside... so very cold...

Deidara watched, as if in slow motion, how the sword flashed with the light of the moon.

He could only watch as it went down.

Sakura stared up at the sword, eyes wide. She was shivering from the cold, or maybe from fear. He couldn't tell.

Deidara watched as the sword plunged deep into her chest.

"SAKUUURAAAAAAAAA!" he shouted, starting to run forward.

Blood burst out, drenching her and splattering onto Nekama's wildly grinning face.

The sword went up again, dripping with crimson. And it stabbed down. And up. And down. Like some insane killing machine, Nekama dug the steel into her until she stopped screaming.

And at that same moment, Sasori broke free of his bonds and tackled Nekama, pulling him off Sakura.

Twin extensions sprung from a thin box strapped onto Sasori's back, three-bladed spinning metal things, and the red-haired boy attacked Nekama.

But Deidara...

Deidara only had eyes for one thing, on person.

The only girl that he'd ever truly loved, lying splayed on the ground with her winter cloak soaked in her thick, rapidly cooling blood.

He ran towards her and fell to his knees. He landed in a puddle of the dark liquid, and it made a sickeningly loud splashing sound

"SAKURA!" he shouted.

Sakura coughed, blood spurting from her mouth.

She turned to Deidara, her jade eyes wide and tired.

"Deidara," she said softly, hoarsely.

"I'm here." Deidara said.

Sakura smiled.

And as Sasori and Nekama dissolved into wild fighting behind them...

Sakura opened her mouth to speak.

**Moar Author's Notes:**

**Heh heh. I feel so evil right now! XD**


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: WELL, HERE IT IS. THE CLIMAX OF THE CLIMAX! I hope I did a good job on it! By the way, if you ever need to write a sad scene... just listen to the theme from Schindler's list. It works, believe me! T_T**

**Tell me if I made it emotional enough!**

**AND REVIEW! REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW! PLEEEASE! I know how many people read this, I can see the views... if you don't review, it'll be like you're LYING. I accept anonymous reviews too, for those of you with no account. SO PLEASE REVIEW! This IS NOT the last chapter, by the way. Anyway... enjoy!**

Chapter Ten

Sakura coughed.

"Deidara," she said. "Deidara..."

"I'm here." Deidara said. "Look, can you heal yourself? Can you get up? Or or do you want me to-!"

"No..." Sakura whispered hoarsely, smiling weakly and turning to him. "There's nothing more you can do. It's okay."

"What?" Deidara said, his mind going numb. "What... what do you mean, un?"

"Deidara," Sakura said, "I don't have much time..."

"No!" Deidara shouted at her. "Don't say things like that! I'm going to take you to a hospital, and they'll fix-!"

"No." Sakura said. "Deidara, stop talking and listen to me. Please."

Deidara's heartbeat quickened, the color draining out of his face.

Sakura was lying splayed on the ground, arms and legs spread out. Her clothes were drenched in her own crimson blood, thick as it soaked the ground beneath her.

Sakura closed her eyes, her face peaceful. Her breath came and went in shallow gasps, turning into little clouds of moisture that drifted up and dissolved in front of her face.

"No... no, it can't be!" Deidara said. Twin tears dripped down his cheeks, leaving tracks down his face.

"It's okay, Deidara." Sakura said, opening her eyes as she turned her head to look at him. Her jade eyes were distant, obviously struggling to focus. "But now, you've got to listen to what I have to say, or I'll never forgive myself."

Deidara's hands trembled.

"I'm listening," he whispered, reaching down and gently sweeping pink strands of hair off her face.

Her cheeks and her small nose were pink with the cold, her lips bright red with blood as she spoke.

"Deidara," Sakura said. "You've trusted me always... and I've trusted you. I know that you love me. But... I've never told you the whole truth, I'm sorry, I just..."

She coughed, the air rasping up her throat. More dark red liquid spilled out of her, splattering on Deidara's clothes.

"What?" Deidara whispered.

"I'm... I'm sorry that I lied." Sakura said to him. "I told you... only a few days ago, but it seems like a thousand years have passed... I said that I got a note at my door that my parents were gone. Isn't... that what I said?"

"Yes." Deidara breathed.

"Deidara," Sakura said. "My family went on a vacation to Kareru three years ago."

Deidara's eyes widened.

"No." he whispered. "No, no...!"

"You bombed a row of houses," Sakura said, her voice small and sad, "And you killed my parents."

"No!" Deidara said, the tears flowing faster now. "No, that's impossible!"

"In the same explosions," Sakura said, "that killed Nekama's father."

Deidara shook his head, his mind refusing to accept the fact.

"No," Sakura said. "That's not why I'm telling you this, Deidara. Stop crying, please. Not for this."

Deidara stared at her, face stricken.

"While Nekama decided to take revenge," Sakura said, "I decided... to let time do the healing, to patch up the wounds so I could move on. I moved on, and continued to live a normal life."

"Why... why are you saying this?" Deidara said, dreading the answer.

"You've got to move on too." Sakura said. "You and I both know that I'm... I'm finished. It's over."

"No, it's not over!" Deidara cried. "There's still time, just take the pain a little longer-!"

"Deidara," Sakura whispered, gazing into his blue eyes sadly, "There's no pain anymore. The pain is gone."

Deidara broke into sobs, his strong shoulder shaking.

"Don't leave me, Sakura!" he sobbed. "I'll... I'll never love anyone like I loved you, I need you, Sakura! Don't go, don't die, un!"

"Don't you DARE talk like that!" Sakura said, her voice weak yet firm. "The need to live, the need to love... it's what makes us go on living. And while you live, you can still love."

"I don't understand!" Deidara said.

"Deidara," Sakura said. "It was a while ago, only a few days ago, when I told you

something. Do... do you remember what I told you?"

Deidara shook his head, hands twisting the fabric of his pants.

"I told you," Sakura said, her voice barely a whisper, "That sometimes, it's not your choice whether you want to live or not. That... sometimes, you need to live for someone."

Deidara nodded. A cold wind blew through the graveyard, and his blond hair streamed out beside him, shimmering in the light of the moon.

He was dimly aware of the clashing sounds of the fight between Sasori and Nekama behind him.

"Well," Sakura said, "Listen to me, Deidara; You need to live for me, because I can't live anymore. You need to love for me, because I'm not longer able to. Do... do you understand?"

"I understand," Deidara wept. "Sakura..."

"Hm?" she said.

"I love you," he said, choking on his sadness. Pain clouded his mind, and every nerve in his body screamed at him to run, just run away from it all.

He sat there, next to her, grasping her hand tightly as she struggled to breathe.

"Look, Deidara." Sakura said, smiling weakly as she looked up. "It's snowing."

Deidara looked up and saw the small, powdery flakes start floating down towards them.

One of them landed on Sakura's nose. She stuck out her small, pink tongue and caught one on it.

A biting cold wind blew past them, and Deidara shivered.

Sakura couldn't feel the cold anymore.

"My only regret, Deidara..." she said, "Is that I won't be able to fly with you when you go see the snow-covered trees from above. You're still going to do that, r-right?"

"Yes, Sakura." he said. "I will."

Sakura sighed, a cross between sadness and calm in her voice.

A single tear trickled down from the corner of her eye.

"I'm crying," she laughed softly. "So silly of me..."

Deidara wiped the tear off her face with his finger.

"It's okay." he said.

The gravestones around them were by now already lightly dusted by thick, powdery snow.

The snow that landed on and around Sakura was tinted with red.

Deidara looked down at Sakura.

"Hold me," she said. "Deidara, hold me, please... I can't move..."

Deidara leaned down and gently wrapped her in his arms, his tears mixing with her blood.

He straightened up again and felt her warm weight against his chest. Her blood dripped down his shirt.

"Now kiss me, please... just one more time..." she whispered in his ear.

Deidara gently kissed, softly, and laid her on the snow-covered ground of the graveyard.

"Thank you, Deidara... for loving me..." she said, smiling, turning to him with the last of her strength. "I love you..."

She breathed out and looked up at the sky, jade eyes open as she gazed up at the moon.

"I love you too, Sakura." he said softly.

She didn't answer.

"I... I love you too, Sakura." he said, louder now. "Sakura?"

He put his hand on her shoulder and shook her a little. Her head flopped around like a rag doll's.

"Sakura?" he said. "Sakura? Sakura!"

She didn't wake up.

Deidara looked down at her. And the tears streamed down his cheeks as he reached down and slid her eyes shut with his fingers.

He reached down and hugged her tightly, one last time under the starry sky, what remained of the pink-haired kunoichi that he'd grown to love so much...

She looked so broken now. Her mouth had opened just a little, almost like she was still laughing.

He looked up.

Before him, a few yards away, he saw Nekama and Sasori battling.

He stood up, Sakura lying still at his feet.

Nekama looked at him.

"Aha!" he snickered. "So you finally finished your little 'conversation'! Is the witch dead?"

Deidara's hands curled into fists, shaking with rage.

Sasori stepped away into the shadows.

He knew... that this time, it was personal. It was Deidara's fight now.

Even Nekama's smile dropped off his face when he saw the look of rage in his eyes.

"I'll KILL YOU!" Deidara half shouted, half sobbed, and he leapt over Sakura towards Nekama, wildly throwing down a bird. He jumped onto it and sped towards Nekama.

Nekama summoned a wall of writhing plants, but Deidara grabbed a knife and chopped through them all, glistening tears lingering behind him as he sped down, down towards Nekama.

Deidara opened his hand, and a huge ball of clay burst from it, unwinding into a huge, reptalian bird with a long neck and sharp teeth within its beak.

"Wha-?" Nekama said, the grin long gone from his face, as the thing slammed into him, its sharp scales cutting into his skin as it writhed.

"Agh!" Nekama shouted, and the thing, a creation of Deidara's pure hate, burst into dust.

Nekama coughed, trying to see through the cloud, when suddenly he saw Deidara's wild blue eyes staring at him.

And Deidara's hand was around his throat as he was slammed into a tree.

Deidara brought his face inches from Nekama's.

"You call _me_ a murderer?" he snarled. "You just killed an innocent girl and tried to kill me and Sasori, two Akatsuki who were actually trying to stop killing... who's the murderer _now_ Nekama?"

Nekama, eyes wide, didn't answer. Maybe it was out of fear, or out of the lack of anything to say.

Deidara raised his knife.

"No." Nekama said, his eyes widening. "Don't kill me, please!"

Deidara's fringe shadowed his eyes, making it impossible to read what he was thinking.

He clenched his teeth...

"How do you control the plants?" Deidara hissed.

"Wh-what?" Nekama stammered.

"I said," Deidara said, raising his head. His eyes were full of suppressed hate. "How do you control the plants?"

"The ring... on my right hand." Nekama said.

Deidara grabbed the ring and crushed in with his bare hand, dropping it onto the ground.

And he let go of Nekama and turned away.

Nekama breathed in deeply, staring after Deidara's back.

The snow was falling harder now, obstructing their sight.

"I... I don't understand!" he said. "Why didn't you kill me?"

"Because taking revenge never works." Deidara said. "You've got to move on, let time heal the wounds."

Nekama sat there, staring after him as Deidara walked over to Sakura.

Sasori went over to Ino, who's eyes were flickering open.

"Sasori?" she said, reaching up for him.

"I'm here." Sasori said, and Ino reached up and wrapped her arms around Sasori's neck, burying her face in his chest.

"Sasori..." she said. "Everything hurts so bad...!"

"Don't worry, I'll get you help." Sasori said. "And then we'll go for ice cream, just like you said."

"Is... is it over?" Ino breathed.

"Yes." Sasori responded.

Ino half laughed, half cried onto Sasori's shirt.

Sasori walked over to Deidara and Sakura, with Ino in his arms.

So many images were flashing through Deidara's mind as he kneeled beside her.

Sakura laughing. Sakura smiling at him. Sakura snuggling him, against his will, in her arms. Sakura gazing down from his bird in stunned wonder. How she marveled at the softness of his hair.

Sakura's arms around him, her soft lips on his. Her caressing fingers on his face.

_She was so beautiful,_ Deidara thought, biting his lip. _And even now, drenched in her own blood... she's still beautiful to me._

_ Why do these things happen? Why? We could've been happy together... we could have lived our lives together, forever... so why this?_

Ino looked over and saw Sakura dead.

"Is Sakura...?" she whispered.

Sasori nodded.

Ino broke into tears.

"Deidara..." Sasori said. "I won't ask if you're okay, because I already know the answer."

Deidara nodded. "Yeah." he said.

"Let me stand." Ino whispered. "I... I need to honor her."

Sasori set her down, and she stood, bowing her head. Sasori did the same.

Nekama watched from afar, his mind finally clear after so much time in the dark.

_What have I done?_ he thought, sliding down the tree he'd been leaning against. _Why... did I do this? I got so caught up in my own insanity..._

_ I'm such an idiot._

He put his hand over his mouth to keep himself from screaming.

Deidara sighed. The color still remained in Sakura's face, her smile still frozen on her face. Sweet and loving as always.

But he couldn't see the mist of her breath in the air anymore.

She would never look up at him with her bright eyes, she'd never hug him or kiss him lovingly ever again.

A bird, left over from the battle, flew over and sat on his shoulder.

He smiled weakly, reaching up to stroke its feathers... his birds had always fascinated her...

But then the bird fluttered down, landing on Sakura's chest.

_What is it doing...?_ he thought, looking down at the bird.

It started pecking at Sakura's chest.

_Clay birds don't eat dead people._ he thought. _What's it doing?_

The bird kept going with its odd, rhythmic tapping.

The beat it was drumming sounded like a familiar one... but which one...?

Suddenly, his eyes widened.

The beat.

A heartbeat.

"No." he whispered.

The bird looked up at him, then looked down. Taptap. Taptap. Taptap.

Deidara brushed the bird off Sakura's chest, and it fluttered down beside her.

Hope was piling itself inside of Deidara, filling him, filling the raw, empty hole that Sakura had just left in him.

He leaned down, putting his ear on her chest. His fringe fell over her neck. And he listened.

His breath caught in his throat, as did Sasori's and Ino's.

And then, he heard it.

The steady, rhythmic beating.

The heartbeat was still there.

It had never left.

_She hasn't left me._ Deidara thought, eyes widening. _She never left. _

_ I knew she'd never leave me._

He was so dizzy. His own heart quickened its pace, filled with dreams of hope and strength. It was like he was floating.

And then... he knew what he had to do.

Sasori and Ino stood by, watching him slip Sakura's walkie-talkie from his belt.

He pressed the button.

For a while, nothing was heard.

"Ugh... Sakura, its so _late..._" Naruto mumbled sleepily. He yawned. "Why are you call-"

"This isn't Sakura." Deidara said.

"Wh-wha?" Naruto said. There was a crash as he fell out of his bed. "Who is this? What have you done to Sakura? How did you get this-"

"Stop talking and listen to me." Deidara said. "Get your best medical-ninjas ready, un. I'll be arriving in about thirty minutes with Sakura."

"Wait..." Naruto said. "I know that voice! YOU'RE DEIDARA! AKATSUKI!"

"I will explain everything later," Deidara said, "But right now, Sakura's dying. You don't want her to die, do you?"

"No," Naruto said. "But-!"

"Just do it." Deidara said.

"How do I know that you're not lying just to get into the city?" Naruto said accusingly.

Ino snatched the walkie-talkie away from Deidara.

"You better get some medical-ninja ready or I'll SMASH YOUR FACE IN, Naruto!" she yelled into it.

"Ino?" Naruto said, incredulous.

"Run over to Konoha hospital, will you?" Ino said. "This is serious!"

"O-okay." Naruto said. "But you and whoever's with Deidara better be ready to explain themselves!"

"HURRY!" Ino shouted.

"Okay, I'm going, I'm going!" Naruto yelped.

Ino tossed the device back to Deidara. Deidara caught it and put it in his belt.

"Let's go!" he said.

The sun was just starting to rise on the horizon, the bright yellow-orange rays glowing as they started to spread over the land.

Deidara made a large bird, and picked Sakura up gently in his arms as he mounted it.

He looked down at her.

_Don't worry, Sakura!_ he thought. _You're going to live. You're going to live. There's still hope, just hang on, Sakura._

Sasori and Ino got on too.

And then suddenly-

"Wait!"

They all turned.

Nekama had gotten up, and was standing not far away.

He didn't look like as menacing and insane as he had before. He just looked like... a very, very confused teenager.

For the first time, Deidara realized that he had white hair.

"I'm... I'm coming too." Nekama said.

Deidara smiled and beckoned to him.

"Thank you." Nekama whispered, smiling incredulously and getting on the bird. Sasori and Ino helped him up.

And then the bird slowly started flapping its wings, rising into the air as it sped towards the gates of Konoha.

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**More Author's Notes: Mwahaha... Review! Tell me if I made the emotion strong enough. LOL what if someone cried while they read this? I doubt it. ANYWAYS REVIEW PLEASE NEXT CHAPTER COMING SOON TO A STORY NEAR YOU! **

**P.S: I've just discovered Shimeji. THEY ARE AWESOME! You should get 'em!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note: Why, hellooo there!  
>It's been a few days since I put up a chapter. I guess I was exhausted from writing the last chapter, since it was all epic and sad n' all. <strong>

**This isn't the last chapter! :D**

**Read on; there will be moar author's notes at the end!**

**(Hmph. I thought this chapter was a little boring. Tell me what you think, no? O.O)**

Chapter Eleven

She didn't wake up for a while.

There were many rumors about the blond teenager that stayed by her in the hospital, even when she couldn't see him there. About how he had been the one that killed Gaara. About how he'd been part of the Akatsuki.

He even slept in that room. Rumor had it that he wanted to be there when she woke up.

There were many rumors about the young teen with red hair who Ino was dragging everywhere. About how he'd been Deidara's partner in the Akatsuki too.

The two frequented many ice cream shops. Rumor had it that it had to do with a promise from a while ago.

There were many rumors about the white-haired teenager that had just moved into a small apartment in Konoha.

Rumor had it that he was training to become a teacher.

But the thing that there were the most rumors about... was the night that they'd all arrived.

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"Okay, so where are these people that spoke to you through your communicator?" Tsunade grumbled, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. "I don't see anyone coming."

"They weren't just people!" Naruto said. "Ino was one of them! And Deidara! They said that Sakura was hurt and-"

"Why in the world would Sakura and Ino be with an Akatsuki?" Tsunade groaned, rubbing her temples.

"Idunno!" Naruto said, in a frenzy, "But-"

"Lady Tsunade!" a voice said over her walkie talkie. "Lady Tsunade!"

She pressed the answering button.

"Yeah?" she said.

"You better get over here, right now!" the voice said.

"See? SEE?" Naruto said. "I told you!"

Tsunade glanced at him, then back at her communicator.

"Okay, I'll be right there. Sit tight." she said, and then she ran out the door.

There was a crowd of Medical-ninjas waiting near the entrance to Konoha.

"What the-?" Tsunade gasped as a large shadow fell over them.

Naruto ran up by her side.

There was bird coasting over Konoha's walls.

Hinata ran up next to Naruto.

"N-naruto!" she said, blushing. "Why's everyone here so _late_?"

"I don't know!" Naruto said. "But Sakura's hurt!"

Kakashi stood next to Tsunade.

"So... what happened to Sakura?" he said.

"We don't know yet." Tsunade told him.

The bird slowly floated down, flapping its wings. Everyone backed away, leaving it a space to land.

The bird landed, scraping to a stop. Everyone on the bird straightened up.

"Sakura!" Hinata shouted.

At the front of the bird, Tsunade saw teenage boy with yellow, messy hair.

_Deidara_. her memory told her.

Behind him there was a red-haired boy -_sasori-_ she decided. Sasori was standing next to Ino.

At the back of the bird, there was a very nervous-looking white-haired boy.

_Whoever he is,_ Tsunade thought, _he's hauntingly familiar._

She realized Deidara was holding something.

No.

Someone.

Tsunade's eyes widened.

"Sakura?" she breathed.

Sakura was drenched in blood, blood that dripped down onto a huge puddle on the bird, drenching Deidara's shoes and pants.

Deidara slid off the bird.

Everyone waited with bated breath.

"What are you WAITING for, un?" Deidara shouted at them. He held out his Sakura. "Take her!"

A team of medics gently lifted Sakura from his arms and loaded her onto a stretcher, running towards the Konoha hospital.

Deidara watched them go, a look of a cross between fear and hope in his eyes. It was hard to tell which it was.

"Goodness, you're all hurt!" a female medical-ninja said. "What happened?"

"Wait." Kakashi said.

Everyone else slid off the bird, landing on the ground.

"Did you do this to Sakura?" he said. There was a cold anger in his voice.

Deidara's heart started beating faster.

_Uh-oh. This is that guy that tried to decapitate me with his warpy eye thing._

Deidara tried to think of something to say when Ino stepped forward.

"Look," she said. "It's a really, really, really long story. But basically, you can trust these people, they're not Akatsuki anymore. Okay?"

Tsunade crossed her arms.

"That's not enough." she said.

"Can we discuss this over tea, or are we just going to stand here in the cold?" Ino said.

The ninja of Konoha glanced at each other.

"Come with me." Tsunade said, beckoning.

Deidara's bird burst into dust, and they all followed Tsunade into a tall building.

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One long explanation and several cups of tea later, they were all tired.

"Well," Kakashi said, standing up. "You can stay and live here if you'd like, but-"

"We have a bunch of old apartments towards the north side." Tsunade said. "Would that be okay?"

"That's fine." Sasori said.

"Perfect." Nekama added-

"Wait." Deidara said. "But I want to stay with her."

"Stay with who?" Kakashi said, leaning against a wall.

"Sakura."

They all stared at him.

The explanation hadn't included any... _personal_ moments. Deidara wasn't surprised by their looks.

"Stay with her?" Tsunade said. "Whatever do you mean by that?"

"In the hospital." Deidara answered.

There was a long, awkward, silence.

"What?" Tsunade said. "Why?"

"Because I want to be there when she wakes up, un."

"We'll call you when she does." Tsunade said.

"No, but I need to be there the moment she wakes up!"

Tsunade stared at him.

"Why...?" she said.

"We could always put another cot in the room." an assistant of Lady Tsunade's said.

"I still don't understand!" Tsunade said, rubbing her temples. It had been a long, long day. "Why do you want to-"

"I think I get it." Kakashi said. "You can stay with her."

"Yes!" Deidara said, pumping his fist.

"What?" Lady Tsunade said. "Kakashi! You have no right to-"

"He can help the nurses."

Tsunade blinked.

"Fine, whatever." she said, standing up. "I'm going to go help the other medics with Sakura-"

"I'm coming too." Deidara said.

"Fine." Tsunade said. She pointed at Nekama, Ino, and Sasori. "You're coming too. You have injuries."

They all nodded and stood up, walking out the door after Tsunade.

Kakashi stared after them.

_Who knew?_ he thought.

He took out a novel and walked away, reading.

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"Okay, you people go to the front desk." Tsunade said to Nekama, Ino and Sasori. "You, Deidara... come with me."

Deidara followed Tsunade up a flight of stairs.

Tsunade glanced back at him.

"Deidara," she said. "Did anything... happen between you and Sakura?"

"Uh..." Deidara stammered, at a loss for words.

"You better not be one of those 'bad boys' like Sasuke." Tsunade grumbled. "When he took off, Sakura was in hysterics. You're not a 'bad boy', are you?"

"No... last time I checked, I wasn't, un." Deidara said, hiding a smirk.

"You better not be!" Tsunade said. They got to the top of the stairs and Tsunade opened a door with her set of keys.

_So... she's like the mother figure?_ Deidara thought. _Hm. Who would've known?_

He followed her down the hallway, and Tsunade stopped at a desk with a nurse.

"Where?" Tsunade said.

"Room 303, Lady Tsunade." the nurse said.

"That bad?" Tsunade said, her eyes worried.

The nurse nodded somberly.

"What? What's bad about room 303?" Deidara said. "Hey!"

"Room 303," Tsunade said distractedly, walking through the clean, polished hallways of the hospital, "Is one of our rooms for people in extremely critical condition."

"Extremely critical condition?" Deidara said. "What's that?"

"I think you'll understand when you see." Tsunade said.

She got to a room and opened the door.

It was empty, except for a tangle of equipment next to the wall.

"What?" Deidara said, his stomach dropping. "She... she's dea-?"

"No, you _idiot_!" Tsunade said. "They're still operating. She'll be here in a while. You... sit there."

She pointed towards a plastic chair.

"There's some books or something." Tsunade said. "I'll go help out."

She breezed out from the room, leaving the door open. Deidara heard her shoes slapping against the hard ground, growing softer as she hurried away

Deidara sat down and looked around him.

There was a small pile of beaten-up books on a table. Deidara picked up the one on the top.

He opened it and started reading.

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Twenty-five or so minutes later, Deidara heard footsteps.

He perked up, looking towards the door. He folded a corner of a page in the book he was reading and stood up.

About three medical-ninja wheeled a large cot in.

He saw a glint of pink hair.

"Sakura!" he said.

One of the medical-nin whirled around.

"Touch anything." the nurse said, "and we will kill you."

Deidara nodded.

They other two bustled around in a frenzy before they walked out the door.

Deidara turned to them.

"Wait!" he said.

"Hm?" the last nurse out the door said.

"When... when'll she wake up, un?" Deidara said.

"There's no telling when." the nurse said. "Now, all we can do... is wait."

Deidara's hands went numb.

"W-wait... so, she might... not wake up...?"

The nurse sighed.

"I'm sorry, hon." she said, shaking her head. "We've done all we can. Don't lose hope."

And with that... she was gone.

Deidara sighed and went over to Sakura's side. He pulled up a small, plastic chair and sat down.

She was surrounded by softly beeping equipment, and IV plugged into her arm.

Her torso was wrapped in bandages, and she was dressed in a loose hospital gown.

_She looks so... pale..._ Deidara thought.

Sakura looked pale and still, so clean... as if she were ready for burial...

_No, don't think that!_ Deidara shouted at himself internally, hands curling into fists. _Sakura's strong. She'll make it through this, she'll wake up. I know she will._

_ I wish... I wish I could help her..._

He lightly brushed the hair back from her face.

"Deidara-san!" he heard suddenly, and he jumped.

"Oh, I'm sorry, have I startled you?" the nurse said, standing awkwardly at the door.

"No, no, it's okay, un." Deidara said. "What is it?"

"W-well..." the nurse said. "We were wondering... if you would volunteer for a blood transfusion for Sakura-chan?"

"Well, I don't even know my blood type." Deidara said sheepishly. "I-"

"We want to test you for it." the nurse said. "W-we thought that... you might want to..."

"Yes, yes of course!" Deidara said, standing up.

_So... maybe I can help her like this... in a way!_

He looked down at Sakura.

She lay still, breathing with the help of the tube under her small nose.

Deidara leaned down and kissed her forehead.

"I'll be back." he said.

He could've sworn he saw her smile as he walked out the door.

One long blood test later, Deidara was tired. Dizzy, too.

He went over to Sakura's side and sat down.

He'd asked the doctors how long it would take Sakura to wake up again. Everywhere he'd gone, the answer had been the same.

A sad look, followed by an apology that she might never wake up again.

But Deidara still had hope.

Because if there wasn't hope... what else was there for him to hang on to?

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Naruto, Ino, Sasori, and many others visited from time to time.

The local newspaper came too; they'd interviewed Deidara about what had happened, snapped some pictures... and then they were gone.

Some people asked Deidara if he was ever bored.

Deidara would always smirk amusedly, and reply that he didn't have time for being bored, with all the worries in his mind.

The nurses would come in a few times every day. Sakura's condition eventually began to become stable.

That was a bad thing.

But Deidara waited.

He always waited, never wavered in his hope that Sakura would wake up.

One week became a month, became two months, and Deidara lost track of the time.

He did a lot of reading, even some of Jiraya's novels at Kakashi's recommendation. He'd stopped reading those after a nurse found one on the table in room 303 and socked him in the face.

Time just kept going.

Deidara waited.

And waited.

and waited.

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It was a few days after time had hit the two-month mark.

Something, a strange feeling, woke Deidara up.

He groaned and lifted his head, looking around.

He'd fallen asleep with his head on Sakura's covers. Huh.

The sun was just rising over the hills of Konoha, throwing the soft light of dawn across the drab hospital room.

Deidara looked at Sakura and reached over, sweeping the hair out of her sleeping face.

_Why am I awake? _he thought, yawning. _It's too early._

He glanced at Sakura again.

_Well, at least I have some time alone with her._

Truthfully... Deidara was starting to lose hope. It was hard, with Sakura lying in a coma on her small cot, thin and frail as a stick. A tree branch.

Deidara took her small hand, sighing heavily. His eyes were tired and sad.

"Sakura," he said. "Wake up."

He felt stupid, talking to a sleeping girl in a white hospital gown. So many stories ended sadly like this, just one person left talking to the one he'd loved.

But he talked to her anyway.

"Sakura," he said, "I love y-"

Suddenly, his voice choked up with tears, and his head fell onto the covers. He felt her body beneath them, and he cried.

There, alone, since there was no one to hear him... the tears came out.

And he wept.

It was for everything; her bloody fate at the graveyard. So many days, spent at the hospital. The last words she'd spoken to him.

She'd told him to move on. But with her so close, yet so far away... _No._ Deidara thought. _Even if Sakura had died that day, so many weeks ago, I still would have loved her. I'll never able to move on. Because if I live... I need to live with her. If I love... it's her I need to love._

"Sakura," he said hoarsely. He could still feel a lump in his throat.

"Sakura." he continued. "I love you, Sakura. And I can't live without you. Please... wake up Sakura...!"

He swallowed hard, forcing the lump back.

And sighed.

And suddenly... that's when it happened.

As Deidara watched, the sun continued to rise over Konoha, and the rays fell over Sakura, illuminating her.

_She looks like angel. _Deidara thought. _A fallen angel, lit by dazzling sunlight._

And then...

Suddenly...

Movement.

Her eyes fluttered, the long lashes twitching.

And then the sun hit jade, her shining jade irises.

Deidara's eyes widened. His breath caught in his throat.

She turned her head lazily, spilling her pink hair, pink like the evening sun, over her illuminated pillow.

Deidara stared at her, blue eyes huge and incredulous. His heart took off like the beating of a thousand bird's wings.

And she opened her mouth, in a perfect small rosy 'O', and spoke the single most beautiful thing that he'd ever heard her say.

"Deidara?"

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**Author's Note: D'awww, wasn't that just so sweet? :3 Well, I tried lol!  
>The next chapter will be like getting punched in the face by fluff. So... expect that.<strong>

**It won't just be the epilogue. It'll be...**

**The EPIC-LOUGE.**

**So just stick with me! PLEASE REVIEW! THANK YOUZ!**

**Oh, and someone... 'Deidara the Banana'... has been slowly reviewing all my chapters. I AM ENJOYING THEIR REVIEWS IMMENSELY! :D But they are anonymous, so I can't respond. If you're reading this, Deidara-The-Bananna... OMG I LOVE YOUR REVIEWS THEY MAKE ME SO HAPPEH! 8'D THANK YOUZ SO MUCH!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note: Well, here it is, you people! The LAST CHAPTER!**

**Thank you for keeping with me for so many chapters, for reading and reviewing each one. THANK YOUZ!**

**There will be more author's notes at the end; so read on! :)**

Chapter Twelve

Sakura was released from the hospital within a month later.

All the medics where surprised at her fast recovery; But Deidara wasn't.

"Deidara," Sakura'd said to him one day, "Is it true that you literally just sat here for two months?"

"Yeah." Deidara had smirked. "The two slowest-moving months in my life, un. I just really wanted you to wake up."

"Oh, Deidara." Sakura had giggled into his shoulder.

He'd smiled down at her.

Tsunade wasn't happy about the whole thing. She kept asking Deidara odd questions.

"Do you drink?"

"No..."

"Do you smoke?"

"Uh, no."

"Do you have mood swings a lot?"

"Er, no?"

"What was that? Are you hesitating? Answer me-!"

"No, no, no, no! Just stop following me around!"

Sakura would laugh when he told her about it.

"It's not funny!" he'd complain. "It's annoying, un."

"It's actually hilarious." Sakura had said. "You're just too thick-headed to notice it.

"Hey!"

When Sakura was finally released from the hospital, she invited Deidara to stay at her house. It wasn't like her parents were there to disapprove.

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Deidara and Sakura slept in different rooms, of course, for those of you with gutter minds.

Deidara quickly learned that Sakura wasn't exactly a master chef, so he took it upon himself to make breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

He would help out randomly inside Konoha with his birds, which could be very useful sometimes.

They could lift things, and transport things, and deliver things. People would call him up if they needed anything.

Apart from the occasional request to fight, Deidara mostly stayed inside Konoha. Now, he finally had a chance to practice his art.

From time to time, Sakura would go on a long mission for a few days. But Deidara would always wait for her.

After all, he'd waited two months for her to open her wide jade eyes again. Anything less than that was a piece of cake.

Sometimes, they both had some scares. More than once, Sakura would come home injured. But it was fine.

Nothing hurt when she was with him.

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Years passed.

And the time came, finally, when Sakura turned 18.

18... The marrying age.

Deidara was 21.

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Deidara and Sakura were sitting on a bench-swing in front of Sakura's house.

In the distance, they could see fireworks over the trees. It was the new year's celebration at midnight.

It was dark. The stars were out and shining in the sky, along with the plump glowing moon.

There was a light, cool wind sweeping over the land. It ruffled their hair as the bench they were on swung lightly back and forth, supporting chains creaking.

Sakura's legs dangled in the air, kicking back and forth to make the bench swing faster. Deidara's were still, hanging there.

"Hey, hey Sakura." he said, smiling.

"Hm?" Sakura said.

"Guess who gave them those fireworks, un. Guess!" Deidara said proudly.

"Oh, I don't know." Sakura said sarcastically. "Is he blond?"

"Yes."

"Is he annoying?"

"At times, yes."

"Is his fringe way too long?"

"My fringe is perfect, un!" Deidara said. "You're just to fashion-blind to see it."

"Oh, so now you're a fashion guru?" Sakura muttered.

"I AM an artist, after all, my dear Sakura." Deidara smirked.

"Uh-huh." Sakura said.

They sat there for a while longer. The cherry blossom tree next to the house rustled in the wind, and small petals floated past them, swirling around in little hurricanes of wind.

Sakura drew her legs up onto the bench, leaning her head against Deidara.

He put his arm around her shoulder.

Deidara's heart started beating faster.

_Not yet, _he thought. _I've gotta wait until the timing is right._

"Hey, did you hear?" Sakura said.

"And what exactly was I supposed to have heard, un?" Deidara said.

"The weather guys have said it's gonna snow soon!" Sakura said, elbowing Deidara playfully.

"Oh yeah." Deidara said. "The trees. How could I forget?"

"You liked them, didn't you?" Sakura said, smiling up at him.

He grinned.

"Yeah." he said. "I'm working on a painting of it."

"Cool." Sakura said.

"Yeah." Deidara said. There was a hint of nervousness in his voice, though.

Sakura giggled and snuggled into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her.

Deidara cleared his throat, blushing.

"Sakura," he said. "I wanna tell you something."

"And what is that?" Sakura said, eyes half closed as she absorbed his soft warmth.

"Well..." he said. His throat was suddenly very, very dry.

_ Darn it, why didn't I drink something before we came outside? _he thought, swallowing dryly.

"What is it?" Sakura said, turning her body around. She wrapped her arms around his neck and stared up into his blue eyes.

Deidara felt her small, strong body against his. Those irresistable jade eyes stared up at him.

She smelled like flowers.

"You smell nice." he blurted out.

"You noticed that?" Sakura said, blushing and looking down. "I used... cherry blossom..."

"Conditioner?" Deidara finished for her, mouth curling into a mischievous grin.

Sakura laughed lightly. Her voice sounded like bells.

Deidara reached up for her hair.

She swatted his hand away.

"No, come on, let me feel it, un!" he laughed. Sakura smiled and let him.

Her hair was soft and clean, silky as a spider's web. It framed her face, curling around its edges.

Deidara ran his fingers through it's softness, and Sakura shivered, pulling his hand off.

"I don't suppose that all you wanted to tell me was that I smell nice." Sakura said, settling into his embrace as she looked up again.

And Deidara breathed in deeply, his worries gone.

_ Now,_ he thought. _Now is the perfect time._

"Sakura..." he said. "Okay, this is important."

Her eyes moved a little in worry, but she was mostly still.

"So..." he said.

_Ugh, I'm stuttering. _he thought. _No, I'm sure about this. I've got to be firm. I've got to believe in my words._

_I've thought out the words I want to say over and over and over again. There's no going back now._

"Sakura," he said. "It's been about two years since the whole mess with Nekama."

"I've counted." Sakura said.

"Since then, I've lived here with you, in your house." Deidara said. "Making art, cooking, etcetera."

"That's right." Sakura muttered. "Since my cooking isn't exactly wonderful."

"Haha, yeah." Deidara said, grinning. "Remember that one time when you-"

He shook his head.

_I can't get off track._ he thought. _I've got to finish saying this!_

"Yes?" Sakura said.

Suddenly, there was a loud rumble in the sky. Thunder.

_ DARN IT!_ Deidara thought angrily.

And then, just like that, a curtain of rain came crashing down from the sky.

The small roof over the bench offered little shelter.

And Deidara threw away the script in his mind.

_ Here goes, _he thought.

"Sakura," he said. "I love you. And the time spent living with you has been the happiest time in my life."

Sakura stared up at him, her breath catching in her throat.

"What... what are you saying?" she said.

"Sakura," he said, squeezing her tighter with his arms. His breathing came and went faster. "I have no intention of leaving. Ever."

There was another rumble of thunder, followed by a crash of bright lightning.

Sakura's eyes grew wider still.

The rain pounded on the roof above them and the ground around them, drumming a steady rhythm. Like the beating of their hearts.

"I love you, un," Deidara said loudly, over the din of the falling rain. "I love you, and I want to stay with you forever...!"

He drew in a large breath, just as the thunder sounded again.

And then he let it out, brought the words spilling from his heart.

"Sakura Haruno, will you marry me?" he shouted.

He felt Sakura's hands clench behind his neck. Her breathing grew faster, eyes growing large and surprised.

But then, like the sun breaking through clouds, a large smile shone through on her face.

"You idiot," she laughed, "I thought you'd never ask!"

Deidara sucked in a breath and smiled-

And then she rose to her knees and pulled his face up, pushing her lips onto his.

They forgot the rain.

Sakura pulled him off the bench and they tumbled onto the rain-soaked grass, kissing.

She took Deidara's face in her hands, running her fingers lightly down his face, absorbing every detail...

Deidara lay on the grass, arms spread out. His shirt had risen up, exposing his midriff, and he could feel her skirt swish lightly over his stomach.

He felt her cool, small tongue meet his, pushing its way into his mouth. He let it.

Her long, wet legs wrapped around him, squeezing him tightly. Almost as tightly as her arms, wrapped around his neck.

And then she slowly lifted her lips from his, snuggling into his chest, and she laughed, the rain bouncing off her head.

Deidara swiftly took her in his arms and lifted her up, spinning her around. She giggled and buried her head in his shoulder.

The rain on their faces mixed with tears of joy.

"We're getting wet, un." Deidara said, putting his hands under her as he lifted her up. She clung to him, happy.

"Yeah." she said. "We are."

"What do you say we go inside and call Sasori and Ino so we can go to an ice-cream shop together to celebrate?"

"I'm sure they would love that." Sakura assured him.

And they went inside, together. Not as two different people... but as one couple, one love, one story of two people whose coincidental meeting blossomed, blossomed in the most literal sense of the word, into a colorful, beautiful love.

Their laughter drifted from within the house and into the starry night sky, joining the remains of the fireworks.

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**The End**

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**Ending Author's Note: Well, there you have it! The end.**

**I hope you liked my humble little story; I've certainly enjoyed writing it very much!**

**If you've been a 'silent reader', as they're called, this whole time, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW, at least the final chapter! Tell me what you liked. What I could've done better on. Your favourite lines, your favourite scenes, your favourite chapters. ANYTHING and EVERYTHING! I love any and all reviews! ;-D**

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**If you want to read something else, I made another story! It's called Return of Sensation, and it's SasoIno and DeiSaku. Ten chapters, a little read if you're ever out of reading material. :-)**

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**Anyway... thanks for reading!**

**G'night, everybody! 8'D**

**-R.L Blackrose **


	13. Announcement! :3

Lots of people wanted a sequel to this, or at least more of an ending... so what did I do?

I read the story over... and decided it wasn't very good.

I can do better.

So of COURSE I went ahead and started another DeiSaku! This one, I promise you, will be better- especially, the characters will be much more in-character. The plot will be less odd. No made-up original antagonist, or weird added backstories. Just Sakura, Deidara, and the Akatsuki out to kill the latter! :3

So, if any of that sounds good to you... find "Protector" on my profile. Read the description. Read the story.

That is all!


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